Pentecost 5/24/26
THE DAY OF PENTECOST
MAY 24, 2026
IN THE NAME OF JESUS, WELCOME TO ST. PAUL’S!
✠ ✠ ✠
THE ENTRANCE RITE
PRELUDE Come Down, O Love Divine Setting: Henry G Ley
WELCOME
ENTRANCE HYMN Come Down, O Love Divine LSB 501
1 Come down, O Love divine;
Seek Thou this soul of mine,
And visit it with Thine own ardor glowing;
O Comforter, draw near;
Within my heart appear,
And kindle it, Thy holy flame bestowing.
2 O let it freely burn,
Till worldly passions turn
To dust and ashes in its heat consuming;
And let Thy glorious light
Shine ever on my sight,
And clothe me round, the while my path illuming.
3 Let holy charity
Mine outward vesture be
And lowliness become mine inner clothing—
True lowliness of heart,
Which takes the humbler part,
And o’er its own shortcomings weeps with loathing.
4 And so the yearning strong,
With which the soul will long,
Shall far outpass the pow’r of human telling;
No soul can guess His grace
Till it become the place
Wherein the Holy Spirit makes His dwelling.
CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION LSB 203
In the name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Our help is in the name of the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.
If You, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?
But with You there is forgiveness; therefore You are feared.
Since we are gathered to hear God’s Word, call upon Him in prayer and praise, and receive the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ in the fellowship of this altar, let us first consider our unworthiness and confess before God and one another that we have sinned in thought, word, and deed, and that we cannot free ourselves from our sinful condition. Together as His people let us take refuge in the infinite mercy of God, our heavenly Father, seeking His grace for the sake of Christ, and saying: God, be merciful to me, a sinner.
Almighty God, have mercy upon us, forgive us our sins, and lead us to everlasting life. Amen.
Almighty God, merciful Father, in Holy Baptism You declared us to be Your children and gathered us into Your one, holy Church, in which You daily and richly forgive us our sins and grant us new life through Your Spirit. Be in our midst, enliven our faith, and graciously receive our prayer and praise; through Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Amen.
KYRIE LSB 204
Lord, have mercy;
Christ, have mercy;
Lord, have mercy.
HYMN OF PRAISE – “Gloria in Excelsis” LSB 204
1 To God on high be glory
And peace to all the earth;
Goodwill from God in heaven
Proclaimed at Jesus’ birth!
We praise and bless You, Father;
Your holy name, we sing—
Our thanks for Your great glory,
Lord God, our heav’nly King.
2 To You, O sole-begotten,
The Father’s Son, we pray;
O Lamb of God, our Savior,
You take our sins away.
Have mercy on us, Jesus;
Receive our heartfelt cry,
Where You in pow’r are seated
At God’s right hand on high—
3 For You alone are holy;
You only are the Lord.
Forever and forever,
Be worshiped and adored;
You with the Holy Spirit
Alone are Lord Most High,
In God the Father’s glory.
“Amen!” our glad reply.
THE PRAYER OF THE DAY
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Let us pray. O God,
on this day You once taught the hearts of Your faithful people by sending them
the light of Your Holy Spirit. Grant us in our day by the same Spirit to have a right
understanding in all things and evermore to rejoice in His holy consolation;
through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the
Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
✠ ✠ ✠
THE LITURGY OF THE WORD
FIRST LESSON (Be seated) Numbers 11:24-30
Moses went out and told the people the words of the Lord. And he gathered seventy men of the elders of the people and placed them around the tent. Then the Lord came down in the cloud and spoke to him, and took some of the Spirit that was on him and put it on the seventy elders. And as soon as the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied. But they did not continue doing it.
Now two men remained in the camp, one named Eldad, and the other named Medad, and the Spirit rested on them. They were among those registered, but they had not gone out to the tent, and so they prophesied in the camp. And a young man ran and told Moses, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.” And Joshua the son of Nun, the assistant of Moses from his youth, said, “My lord Moses, stop them.” But Moses said to him, “Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the Lord’s people were prophets, that the Lord would put his Spirit on them!” And Moses and the elders of Israel returned to the camp.
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
PSALM 25:1-10 (Sung responsively)
To you, O Lord,
I lift up my soul.
O my God, in you I trust;
let me not be put to shame;
let not my enemies exult over me.
Indeed, none who wait for you shall be put to shame;
they shall be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.
Make me to know your ways, O Lord;
teach me your paths.
Lead me in your truth and teach me,
for you are the God of my salvation;
for you I wait all the day long.
Remember your mercy, O Lord, and your steadfast love,
for they have been from of old.
Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions;
according to your steadfast love remember me,
for the sake of your goodness, O Lord!
Good and upright is the Lord;
therefore he instructs sinners in the way.
He leads the humble in what is right,
and teaches the humble his way.
All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness,
for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
SECOND LESSON Acts 2:1-21
When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” But others mocking said, “They are filled with new wine.”
But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them, “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. For these men are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel:
“‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares,
that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh,
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
and your young men shall see visions,
and your old men shall dream dreams;
even on my male servants and female servant
in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.
And I will show wonders in the heavens above
and signs on the earth below,
blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke;
the sun shall be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood,
before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day.
And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall
be saved.’”
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
ALLELUIA VERSE (Stand)
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
These things are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ,
the Son of God.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
GOSPEL John 7:37-39
The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the 7th chapter
Glory to You, O Lord.
On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to You, O Christ.
SERMON (Be seated)
Grace, mercy and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus. Amen. Dear friends in Christ:
On Pentecost Sunday, the church remembers and celebrates the great miracle described in today’s second reading. That miracle was the pouring out of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles in fulfillment of Jesus’ promise – the promise which we’ve been highlighting the past few Sundays.
When the Spirit came upon those chosen men, they began to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus. And this tells us that the Spirit’s primary work and concern is Gospel proclamation. The Spirit moves people to proclaim Christ’s message, so that people might be saved from their sins and join Christ’s kingdom.
On that Day of Pentecost, the most evident aspect of the miracle was the apostles’ speaking in other languages. People from many different places were present that day, and as the apostles spoke, everyone could hear and understand the message in their own native tongue. This miracle highlights something else about the Spirit. Not only does the Spirit move people with great power, but the Spirit also wants people of all nations and languages to hear the message of Jesus.
As the message went forth on that day, a great crowd of people began to gather. And when the time was right, Peter then singularly addressed the crowd with a specific proclamation. First, he addressed the mockers who thought that maybe the apostles were drunk. Then he explained that what the people were seeing and hearing was an event prophesied in the scriptures by the prophet Joel.
As Peter does this, he shares the specific words from Joel which were being fulfilled. And for the next part of our sermon today, we’ll examine these words in some detail.
But first, let me say that Joel is one of my favorite prophets – partly because I have a younger brother named Joel. My brother Joel is a pastor in Texas, and he will be preaching for us in November when he’s in town to attend my son’s wedding. That will be a great treat.
I also like the prophet Joel because I find his message to be laid out more clearly and directly than many of the other prophets. His proclamation has a very clear outline, which I’ll share with you briefly.
Joel begins by describing a great threat that his hearers were facing. The threat was a large army of locusts. These locusts may have been a literal swarm of the insects which threatened to devour the people’s crops. Or, the “locusts” may have been, instead, the Assyrian army from the north, which was advancing in those days.
Whichever the case, Joel’s message to the people is that they ought to repent. The people should repent of their sins, and they should repent of their lack of faith in God.
You may recall that we always read a small portion of this section of Joel on Ash Wednesday. The verses are ones that work particularly well on that day, not only because Ash Wednesday is a day that highlights repentance, but also because the verses urge us to “call a fast” – something that Lent is designed to be.
After the verses which call for repentance, Joel then announces that the Lord has taken pity on his repentant people and has decided to save them. As he describes this salvation, he mentions, among other things, that God will save them from both the enemies of famine and of war. Furthermore, he will also cause the people to rejoice with gladness and to live with faith.
Right after this section, Joel then adds his words about the Spirit – the words which Peter quotes in his sermon. Joel introduces these words by simply saying: “After this…” without specifying anything more about when this would take place. But Peter, interestingly, changes this opening phrase to make it more specific. He says that the Spirit would be poured out: “In the last days.”
One might think that Peter is taking too great a liberty here – changing the words to suit his own purpose. But reading through the rest of Joel, we see how the prophecy which follows is indeed about a specific point in the future. That future point is the time leading up to God’s ultimate and final judgment of all people.
Joel’s message of God’s future judgment first appears in the last section of verses which Peter quotes. These are the ones which record God saying: “And I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes.” Notice that these words not only picture the power of God’s coming judgment, but they also tell how this judgment will take place on one very visible day.
The next line of Joel’s prophecy is the very last one Peter quotes. These are the words: “And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Here we have words telling of God’s mercy on the day of judgment and how this mercy is shown to those who call upon him in faith.
When Peter quotes these words from Joel, he does so because he wants the people to know of God’s fulfillment of this prophecy, which was happening in that time. Just fifty days earlier, God had accomplished this great salvation – doing it through the life, death, and resurrection of his Son Jesus. And now, on that very day when Peter was speaking to them, God was fulfilling the promise of sending his Spirit upon all people – doing so through the proclamation of Christ’s disciples. This sending of the Spirit would go forward throughout the last days until God himself would come for the final judgment.
When we read through the rest of Peter’s sermon at Pentecost and hear about the people’s reaction, we learn that his words were very effective. Evidence of this comes as we hear about the three thousand people who came to faith that day. And this success is no surprise, for the Holy Spirit was clearly present.
At our service next Sunday, we’ll read that conclusion of Peter’s sermon. So, for our remaining time today, I’d like to say a few more things about Peter’s translation choice and then close with some thoughts on the Holy Spirit and his work.
When Peter translates Joel’s words to say that the Spirit is poured out “in the last days,” he uses a phrase that is also used by just about every other writer in the New Testament. Paul spoke of the “last days” in his second epistle to Timothy (3:1). James (5:3) and Peter (3:3, second epistle) use the phrase too. John (2:8, first epistle) varies the phrase slightly by saying “the last hour.” And the most prominent use is by the writer of the Book of Hebrews, who begins his epistle by saying: “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son” (1:1-2).
Some people are troubled by the fact that these “last days” have now continued for two thousand years. They think that this must be some kind of middle period instead or conclude that the Biblical authors were just wrong.
Two thousand years is a long time in many ways. But in other ways, it’s not – especially in God’s eyes.
Here we should note that the “last days” phrase is not given as an indication of the time’s length. Rather, it is given, instead to teach us a proper understanding of where these days fit in God’s overall plan. By calling these times “the last days,” we are being cued that we don’t need to look for any more revelation from God since God has done all that needs to be done. God has accomplished our salvation by his Son and given us the Holy Spirit to sustain us. This is all we need.
Likewise, the record of this giving is also thorough and complete. God’s plan and provision is sufficiently detailed for us in the New Testament scriptures.
In addition, the phrase “last days” also cues us to anticipate the Lord’s arrival and to be prepared for it. Jesus often spoke about his return. And when he did, he always urged us to be ready.
“In the last days,” says God, “I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.”
Friends, the Spirit has been poured out in this world and is now strong among us. I know this Spirit doesn’t always seem so powerful. Even though there are millions of Christians proclaiming God’s word in our churches and over the airwaves and through the internet, secular voices and concerns always seem to garner more attention. But I remind you that these so-called “secular” voices and concerns are not always devoid of the Spirit. Many of them, in fact, include a Christian point of view, though not directly stated.
Christian workers, for example, always pursue goals of good quality, good stewardship, and helpful benefit for everyone – at least they should. And these Christians don’t need to trumpet the role their faith plays in their work. Faith can be behind the scenes and still clearly present.
Our individual Christian faith will rarely be seen as newsworthy. But it plays a huge role in our everyday lives, whether we realize it or not. And this faith is sustained by the pouring out of God’s Spirit, through sermons and devotions and Bible studies and Gospel conversations – none of which make headlines, but which collectively witness to the power of Christ’s voice in this world.
Joel’s prophecy, we should note, tells of such proclamation being done by people of all ages, and by both men and women too. About this, yes, age and the wisdom it brings should continue to be respected. And yes, men are the ones who should occupy the position of pastor in the church. But everybody can and should also tell the good news of salvation in Jesus. And that’s because the Spirit is poured into all believers in Christ – men and women, young and old.
At St. Paul’s, Gospel proclamation is our chief mission. We’ve declared this by adopting the statement: “Our mission is to share the life-changing good news of God’s love for all people in Christ Jesus.”
In addition, many of us here have also been engaged in the Spirit-led activity of seeing visions and dreaming dreams. We’ve dreamed about what this church could look like if we took some new steps. And we’ve formulated plans to try and achieve them. Recently we asked all of you to join us in this task and take our congregational survey. And many of you responded.
Our leaders are now evaluating all these past and present dreams and formulating some recommendations for our next steps. And these recommendations should be ready for circulation and discussion in the very near future. Because of the financial resources we now have, we will be able to take steps with extra boldness and confidence. So, it’s an exciting time at St. Paul’s.
Joel’s prophecy records God saying: “And I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke.” These statements, as explained earlier, point to the judgment of God to come, when the last days are finished. But since they also point to God’s power and might, they could be used to describe great and positive changes among us too – changes like the expansion of ministry efforts and greater crowds of people hearing the Good News.
Changes like this are what happened on that first Pentecost Day, when the Spirit was poured out upon the apostles. And these results can happen in our day too.
Our task it to proclaim the Gospel, pray for the Spirit, and live according to Christ’s teachings. When we do these, we know that God will work among us – whether in ways that seem to be “wonders in heaven” or ways that are simply steps of help and progress.
God has poured out his Spirit, as prophesied. And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. This is the promise of Jesus. Let us proclaim it in all we do.
In his holy name. Amen.
HYMN OF THE DAY (Stand) Come, Holy Ghost, God and Lord LSB 497
1 Come, Holy Ghost, God and Lord,
With all Your graces now outpoured
On each believer’s mind and heart;
Your fervent love to them impart.
Lord, by the brightness of Your light
In holy faith Your Church unite;
From ev’ry land and ev’ry tongue
This to Your praise, O Lord, our God, be sung:
Alleluia, alleluia!
2 Come, holy Light, guide divine,
Now cause the Word of life to shine.
Teach us to know our God aright
And call Him Father with delight.
From ev’ry error keep us free;
Let none but Christ our master be
That we in living faith abide,
In Him, our Lord, with all our might confide.
Alleluia, alleluia!
3 Come, holy Fire, comfort true,
Grant us the will Your work to do
And in Your service to abide;
Let trials turn us not aside.
Lord, by Your pow’r prepare each heart,
And to our weakness strength impart
That bravely here we may contend,
Through life and death to You, our Lord, ascend.
Alleluia, alleluia!
NICENE CREED LSB, back cover
I believe in one God,
the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth
and of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the only-begotten Son of God,
begotten of His Father before all worlds,
God of God, Light of Light,
very God of very God,
begotten, not made,
being of one substance with the Father,
by whom all things were made;
who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven
and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary
and was made man;
and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate.
He suffered and was buried.
And the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures
and ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of the Father.
And He will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead,
whose kingdom will have no end.
And I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord and giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified,
who spoke by the prophets.
And I believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church,
I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins,
and I look for the resurrection of the dead
and the life ✠ of the world to come. Amen.
OFFERING
Offerings support the church’s mission work – both here and through our many partners. Offerings may be placed in the box at the sanctuary entrance or sent to the church through our website or the mail. Fellowship Cards help us welcome new people and track participation. Please fill one out and place it in the offering box following the service.
PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH
In peace, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
For all the baptized, that the baptismal water of life may bring forth its full fruit in all we say, think and do, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
For the pouring out of the Holy Spirit among us, that our congregation would minister powerfully and faithfully to its members and to this community, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
For faithful pastors and church workers devoted to the service of God, who delivered His Word through Moses and the prophets and fulfilled it in Christ, who died for our sins and was raised for our justification, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
For all parents, that God would continue to pour out His Spirit upon them to catechize their children faithfully in His Word, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
For a long memory to recall those who gave the full measure of devotion to our country’s peace and security and served faithfully until death in the protection of our freedom and in the defense of our land, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
For all who face sickness, surgery and pain, especially those on our prayer list and those we name in our hearts at this time… that they may not be afraid, and that they might be healed according to the abundance of God’s steadfast love, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
For those who commune at the Lord’s altar this day, that they may receive our Lord Jesus’ gifts in sincere repentance and be raised up from death to life through His forgiveness, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
In thanksgiving for the resurrection of the dead and the eternal life in Christ Jesus; and in remembrance of those who have gone before us and are at rest, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
Almighty Father, with Your Son, Jesus Christ, send Your Holy Spirit into our hearts through Your Word to rule and govern us according to Your will. Comfort us in every temptation and misfortune and defend us against every error, that we may continue steadfast in the faith, increase in love and good works, and — trusting firmly in Your grace — obtain eternal salvation; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
OFFERTORY Let the Vineyards Be Fruitful (LSB 955)
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 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 HYMNS To God the Holy Spirit Let Us Pray LSB 768
1 To God the Holy Spirit let us pray
For the true faith needed on our way
That He may defend us when life is ending
And from exile home we are wending.
Lord, have mercy!
2 O sweetest Love, Your grace on us bestow;
Set our hearts with sacred fire aglow
That with hearts united we love each other,
Ev’ry stranger, sister, and brother.
Lord, have mercy!
3 Transcendent Comfort in our ev’ry need,
Help us neither scorn nor death to heed
That we may not falter nor courage fail us
When the foe shall taunt and assail us.
Lord, have mercy!
4 Shine in our hearts, O Spirit, precious light;
Teach us Jesus Christ to know aright
That we may abide in the Lord who bought us,
Till to our true home He has brought us.
Lord, have mercy!
Holy Spirit, Light Divine LSB 496
1 Holy Spirit, light divine,
Shine upon this heart of mine;
Chase the shades of night away,
Turn the darkness into day.
2 Let me see my Savior’s face,
Let me all His beauties trace;
Show those glorious truths to me
Which are only known to Thee.
3 Holy Spirit, pow’r divine,
Cleanse this guilty heart of mine;
In Thy mercy pity me,
From sin’s bondage set me free.
4 Holy Spirit, joy divine,
Cheer this saddened heart of mine;
Yield a sacred, settled peace,
Let it grow and still increase.
5 Holy Spirit, all divine,
Dwell within this heart of mine;
Cast down ev’ry idol throne,
Reign supreme, and reign alone.
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 O Day Full of Grace LSB 503
1 O day full of grace that now we see
Appearing on earth’s horizon,
Bring light from our God that we may be
Replete in His joy this season.
God, shine for us now in this dark place;
Your name on our hearts emblazon.
2 O day full of grace, O blessèd time,
Our Lord on the earth arriving;
Then came to the world that light sublime,
Great joy for us all retrieving;
For Jesus all mortals did embrace,
All darkness and shame removing.
3 For Christ bore our sins, and not His own,
When He on the cross was hanging;
And then He arose and moved the stone
That we, unto Him belonging,
Might join with angelic hosts to raise
Our voices in endless singing.
4 God came to us then at Pentecost,
His Spirit new life revealing,
That we might no more from Him be lost,
All darkness for us dispelling.
His flame will the mark of sin efface
And bring to us all His healing.
5 When we on that final journey go
That Christ is for us preparing,
We’ll gather in song, our hearts aglow,
All joy of the heavens sharing,
And walk in the light of God’s own place,
With angels His name adoring.
DISMISSAL
Go in peace. Serve the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
POSTLUDE O Day Full of Grace Setting: Charles W Ore
FELLOWSHIP: Board of Education
Those serving:
Sunday, 8:30 a.m.:
Greeter: Steve Berg
Comm. assist: Judy Koucky
Reader: Dave Oaks
10:30 a.m.:
Greeter: Lynn Jacquez
Comm. assist: Dede Dixon
Reader: Janice Sebring
Acolyte: Joshua Wang
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 © 2026 Concordia Publishing House.
955 Let the Vineyards Be Fruitful Text: John W. Arthur, 1922–80 Tune: Richard W. Hillert, 1923–2010 Tune: © 1978 Lutheran Book of Worship. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110005326
501 Come Down, O Love Divine Text: Bianco da Siena, c. 1350–1434; tr. Richard F. Littledale, 1833–90 Tune: Ralph Vaughan Williams, 1872–1958 Text and tune: Public domain
497 Come, Holy Ghost, God and Lord Text: tr. The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941, alt.; (st. 1): German, 15th cent.; (sts. 2–3): Martin Luther, 1483–1546 Tune: Eyn Enchiridion oder Handbüchlein, 1524, Erfurt Text: © 1941 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110005326 Tune: Public domain
768 To God the Holy Spirit Let Us Pray Text: tr. Worship Supplement, 1969, alt.; (st. 1): German, c. 13th cent.; (sts. 2–4): Martin Luther, 1483–1546 Tune: Geystliche gesangk Buchleyn, 1524, Wittenberg, ed. Johann Walter Text: © 1969 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110005326 Tune: Public domain
496 Holy Spirit, Light Divine Text: Andrew Reed, 1787–1862, alt. Tune: Orlando Gibbons, 1583–1625 Text and tune: Public domain
503 O Day Full of Grace Text: Scandinavian, c. 1450; tr. Gerald Thorson, 1921–2001 Tune: Christoph E. F. Weyse, 1774–1842 Text: © 1978 Lutheran Book of Worship. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110005326 Tune: Public domain
