Fourth Sunday after Pentecost 6/21/26
THE FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
JUNE 21, 2026
IN THE NAME OF JESUS, WELCOME TO ST. PAUL’S!
✠ ✠ ✠
THE ENTRANCE RITE
PRELUDE O Holy Spirit, Enter in Setting: Keith Kolander
WELCOME
ENTRANCE HYMN O Holy Spirit, Enter in LSB 913
1 O Holy Spirit, enter in,
And in our hearts Your work begin,
Your dwelling place now make us.
Sun of the soul, O Light divine,
Around and in us brightly shine,
To joy and gladness wake us
That we may be
Truly living,
To You giving
Prayer unceasing
And in love be still increasing.
2 Give to Your Word impressive pow’r,
That in our hearts from this good hour
As fire it may be glowing,
That in true Christian unity
We faithful witnesses may be,
Your glory ever showing.
Hear us, cheer us
By Your teaching;
Let our preaching
And our labor
Praise You, Lord, and serve our neighbor.
3 O mighty Rock, O Source of life,
Let Your dear Word, in doubt and strife,
In us be strongly burning
That we be faithful unto death
And live in love and holy faith,
From You true wisdom learning.
Your grace and peace
On us shower;
By Your power
Christ confessing,
Let us see our Savior’s blessing.
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,
because Your abiding presence always goes with us, keep us aware of Your daily
mercies that we may live secure and content in Your eternal love; 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) Jeremiah 20:7-13
O Lord, you have deceived me,
and I was deceived;
you are stronger than I,
and you have prevailed.
I have become a laughingstock all the day;
everyone mocks me.
For whenever I speak, I cry out,
I shout, “Violence and destruction!”
For the word of the Lord has become for me
a reproach and derision all day long.
If I say, “I will not mention him,
or speak any more in his name,”
there is in my heart as it were a burning fire
shut up in my bones,
and I am weary with holding it in,
and I cannot.
For I hear many whispering.
Terror is on every side!
“Denounce him! Let us denounce him!”
say all my close friends,
watching for my fall.
“Perhaps he will be deceived;
then we can overcome him
and take our revenge on him.”
But the Lord is with me as a dread warrior;
therefore my persecutors will stumble;
they will not overcome me.
They will be greatly shamed,
for they will not succeed.
Their eternal dishonor
will never be forgotten.
O Lord of hosts, who tests the righteous,
who sees the heart and the mind,
let me see your vengeance upon them,
for to you have I committed my cause.
Sing to the Lord;
praise the Lord!
For he has delivered the life of the needy
from the hand of evildoers.
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
PSALM 91:1-10 (Sung responsively)
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”
For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler
and from the deadly pestilence.
He will cover you with his pinions,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.
You will not fear the terror of the night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,
nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.
A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.
You will only look with your eyes
and see the recompense of the wicked.
Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place—
the Most High, who is my refuge—
no evil shall be allowed to befall you,
no plague come near your tent.
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 Romans 6:12-23
Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal bodies, to make you obey their passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.
What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification.
When you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? The end of those things is death. But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
CHILDREN’S MESSAGE
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 Matthew 10:5a, 21-33
The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the 10th chapter.
Glory to You, O Lord.
These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, . . .
“Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next, for truly, I say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.
“A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household.
“So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.”
This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to You, O Christ.
SERMON (Be seated)
Grace, mercy and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus. Amen. Dear friends in Christ:
Today’s Gospel reading is the second of three consecutive readings from Matthew chapter ten. This chapter is an extended teaching from Jesus about what it means to join him in mission. The chapter starts with specific instructions to the Twelve as they head out on a time of mission training, and then adds statements which probably come from later teachings of Jesus. Such additions are not uncommon in Mattthew, who often puts things together thematically instead of chronologically.
Last week’s reading ended after the first eight verses of the chapter. And in the sermon on that reading, we noted how Jesus gave to the Twelve powerful and yet limited authority in their mission. Their authority was powerful in that they were given the ability to cast out demons and heal people. It was limited in that this was the only authority they were given and their scope was to reach out to Israel alone and with only a basic message.
When we read on in this chapter and get to verse 18, we hear Jesus say that his followers will be “dragged before governors and kings for his sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles.” These are words which point toward a much wider mission for the apostles—one given them after Jesus ascended to heaven and sent them the Spirit.
Today’s text picks up at verse 21. Before we examine it, let me just say quickly that the verses we skipped give important information too, for they address such subjects as the disciple’s pay for their work and how to look for “people of peace.” But we’re skipping these verses this year because the same verses are also found in Luke’s Gospel account and they are read during the year when our readings come from that book.
Today’s section of verses tells us that those engaged in the mission of Christ will experience conflict and persecution. The conflict is seen in verses such as: “Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death.” The persecution is seen in verses such as: “You will be hated by all for my name’s sake.”
Verses such as these are troubling to us because we know that the Christian message, at its heart, seeks to unite people. Its message of love, forgiveness, and reconciliation leads people to put aside their hurts and differences and come together in unity.
The Christian message does indeed work powerfully in this way. However, sometimes it divides people too. And Jesus wants us to be aware of this.
To clarify, the message of Christ itself does not encourage division. The Gospel is meant to unite. But the fact of the matter is that some people will not accept the message. And when this is the case, division results.
By the way, when we say: “accept the message,” we do this remembering that God does not compel people to believe in him and his work. He enables us to believe by sending his Holy Spirit to “open our eyes” and enlighten us, but people still have a choice to reject this enlightenment.
And Lutherans will never emphasize this choice aspect of faith, since we don’t want anyone to falsely understand their salvation as resulting from their own good sense or effort. But we have always said that a person can reject the faith. And evidence for this happens all the time.
When some people believe and others don’t, conflict will inevitably arise. But this doesn’t mean that believers can’t get along with unbelievers. We can find common cause in many aspects of life… things like our citizenship, our work efforts, and our commitment to live decently and in good order. Christians are taught to do their part, and even more, for the sake of getting along. We are to be patient and loving toward unbelievers, knowing that they were created by God just as we are. God loves them and hopes that they will someday see and acknowledge his light.
And of course, Christians are never to persecute others because of what they believe. In those times that we do – for certainly we have all done this at times, knowingly or unknowingly – we need to repent.
The Gospel message, this side of heaven, will always cause a degree of conflict. This was especially the case for those first Christians, since every one of them moved away from the teachings of their families and put their heart toward the teachings of Jesus instead. This conversion often caused them to be seen as rebels or those who were led astray by the voice of temptation. Notice how Jesus refers to this accusation when he says: “If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household?”
Sadly, these types of accusation still occur today. Many who convert to the Christian faith are seen as rebellious or confused, with some even being seen as possessed by the Devil.
But more often, today’s Christan converts are seen as having been led astray from the prevailing secular humanism of our time, by churches and pastors who are at best simply stuck in the past or at worst pushing their own agendas. These views reflect a deep skepticism about the church in our day, some of it deserved but much of it not. Christians are accused of impeding progress, repressing the individual, and believing too narrowly.
Regardless of the names or accusations thrown against us, Christians should know that involvement in Christ’s mission will always bring a degree of conflict and persecution. That’s just the way it’s going to be, which is why Jesus warns us.
At the same time, it’s also very important to differentiate between conflict and persecution. Conflict comes naturally when there is disagreement, but it doesn’t have to be hostile. Persecution, however, is always hostile.
Jesus knows that his followers will face persecution because of their faith. They will be hated, marginalized, and attacked. Sometimes this persecution will be subtle, like when a Christian is left out of a group or activity. At other times it will be very direct, like when words and actions are quite clearly meant to take a Christian down.
Still, we Christians must be careful with the claim that we are being persecuted. And this is especially the case in countries like this one where Christians are in the majority. Not all conflict, as we’ve said, is persecution. Those who claim persecution too quickly are engaging in a hostile act themselves, by pronouncing a judgment that isn’t true.
It’s interesting to watch today’s world wrestle with the similar question of whether an action is a hate crime or not. Was the crime committed because of the victim’s race, religion or sex? Or was it committed for reasons other than these? It’s often hard to know.
Sometimes an answer to these questions will appear in due time. But people shouldn’t jump to their own conclusions without proper evidence.
Sadly, people often do this. They draw quick and untrue conclusions about such things. Some of them do this because they’re looking for evidence to support their beliefs. Others do it because they have a deep grief and a strong desire for closure.
When Jesus told his disciples: “I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves,” he said this knowing that there are those in the world who seek to devour the proclaimers of his message. Still, we must be careful not to think that everyone who believes differently than we do is a wolf, nor to think that these wolves can never be turned from their ways. Jesus calls us to careful discernment about these matters, as seen in concluding his statement: “so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.”
When people have been persecuted, they can become hardened to the world around them and overly anxious about persecution coming their way again. Jesus knows this, which is why he gives us the promise of his help and healing.
Jesus communicates this help and healing in our text by saying: “Have no fear of them… for nothing is covered that will not be revealed or hidden that will not be known.” And with these words, Jesus assures us of God’s protection.
At the same time, Jesus’ words also explain that God will execute his perfect judgment in the end. Evil persecutors will not go unpunished. We see this as Jesus says: “do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” Those who do not fear God will face his wrath.
Knowing of God’s ultimate justice helps us persevere in what is right. For right behavior will be rewarded.
But what we need to understand most of all is that God loves his disciples and values them greatly. He sees their suffering and will not allow it to overwhelm them. He protects them and encourages them.
As Jesus tells us in today’s reading, he knows if a sparrow falls to the ground, and knows even the number of hairs on our heads. With such knowledge of us and the world, we can be confident that he is in control, and we do not need to fear.
Even when we’re hurt, God heals us according to his mercy. He heals us in body, and he heals us in spirit.
God gives this healing most completely, and most crucially, as he forgives our sins. This he does for the sake of Jesus, who died on the cross to pay sin’s penalty.
God has done everything necessary for our salvation. What he asks in return is that we acknowledge him and his saving acts.
This means, specifically, that we acknowledge our savior Jesus. And not just in the privacy of our own faith but also, as Jesus says, “before men.” We are to acknowledge Jesus before those men who do not share our belief; and we are to acknowledge Jesus even before those who persecute us.
“Fear not,” said Jesus to his disciples, as he prepared them for a time of mission. “Fear not.” And as we hear these words of Jesus today, we do well to consider what kind of fears we might have that keep us from joining Jesus in his mission to the world. Certainly, all of us have some.
Today is Father’s Day. As I think about my own father, I’m grateful that he did so well in helping me overcome the fears of growing up in this very big world. And when I expressed a desire to go into church work, he helped me overcome the fear of this too. He was patient, supporting, consistent, generous… and best of all, a man of faith. His protection, example, and encouragement helped me to go forward with my plans. I was very blessed.
In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus refers to our heavenly Father on two occasions and in two different ways. One of these references comes in a promise of the Father’s protection. The other comes in an encouragement to obey the Father’s commands.
As wonderful as my earthly father was, it didn’t take long for me to realize that he couldn’t protect me from everything. No earthly father can. But our heavenly Father can protect us from everything. He knows all, sees all, and anticipates all. As stated before, he has done everything for our salvation.
My father was also very good at obeying God’s commands, although he wasn’t perfect. More importantly, he taught and encouraged me to obey God’s commands. My father had clear and reasonable expectations of me that were grounded in God’s Word, which I needed. As do we all.
And when I broke God’s commands, my father was not afraid to discipline me. But he did it with love. And he quickly extended his forgiveness. He did this because he had learned to forgive from our heavenly Father, who is the greatest forgiver of all.
Today we give thanks to God for fathers who take their task seriously and do it with faith. And we thank our heavenly Father most of all. Our heavenly Father knows us, protects us, and teaches us. What’s more, he calls us to join with his Son Jesus in mission to the world.
As we go about this mission, conflict and persecution will come. But God will uphold us through it all. That is his promise.
May God bless us in our serving. In the name of Jesus. Amen.
HYMN OF THE DAY (Stand) Lord of Our Life LSB 659
1 Lord of our life and God of our salvation,
Star of our night and hope of ev’ry nation:
Hear and receive Your Church’s supplication,
Lord God Almighty.
2 See round Your ark the hungry billows curling;
See how Your foes their banners are unfurling
And with great spite their fiery darts are hurling,
O Lord, preserve us.
3 Lord, be our light when worldly darkness veils us;
Lord, be our shield when earthly armor fails us;
And in the day when hell itself assails us,
Grant us Your peace, Lord:
4 Peace in our hearts, where sinful thoughts are raging,
Peace in Your Church, our troubled souls assuaging,
Peace when the world its endless war is waging,
Peace in Your heaven.
APOSTLES’ CREED LSB, 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.
For all believers, that receiving the free gift of eternal life, our lives would be conformed to His holy teaching and bear much fruit in good works, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
That God would bless and sustain His pastors and people to sing His praises, endure suffering for the name of Jesus, and continue by His grace to the end, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
For earthly fathers, that our Father from whom all fatherhood is named would give them confidence in their station and zeal for their tasks; that He would make them examples to their children of godly life and love of His Word; that He would bless their work to bring up children in the fear and instruction of the Lord; and that He would give them the comfort of His absolution over all their shortcomings, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
For pious and faithful leaders of our nation, that they may provide good government; for industrious citizens, who will work for the good of their neighbors; and for enemies to overcome their differences and live together in peace, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
For those with afflictions of body and soul, especially those on our prayer list and those we name in our hearts at this time… that God would look with favor upon them and all who are sick, weary, grieving or lonely, and assure them of His care and provision, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
For all who partake of the Holy Communion this day, that they would present themselves in repentance as those brought out of death into life and receive the forgiveness of their sins, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
For the saints who have gone before us, let us give thanks to the Lord; and that God would preserve our feet from falling and our souls from death, to walk always in the light of life, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
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)
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 You Satisfy the Hungary Heart LSB 641
Refrain
You satisfy the hungry heart
With gift of finest wheat.
Come give to us, O saving Lord,
The bread of life to eat.
1 As when the shepherd calls his sheep,
They know and heed his voice;
So when You call Your fam’ly, Lord,
We follow and rejoice. Refrain
2 With joyful lips we sing to You
Our praise and gratitude
That You should count us worthy, Lord,
To share this heav’nly food. Refrain
3 Is not the cup we bless and share
The blood of Christ outpoured?
Do not one cup, one loaf, declare
Our oneness in the Lord? Refrain
4 The myst’ry of Your presence, Lord,
No mortal tongue can tell:
Whom all the world cannot contain
Comes in our hearts to dwell. Refrain
5 You give Yourself to us, O Lord;
Then selfless let us be,
To serve each other in Your name
In truth and charity. Refrain
On Eagles’ Wings LSB 727
1 You who dwell in the shelter of the Lord,
Who abide in His shadow for life,
Say to the Lord: “My refuge,
My rock in whom I trust!” Refrain
Refrain
And He will raise you up on eagles’ wings,
Bear you on the breath of dawn,
Make you to shine like the sun,
And hold you in the palm of His hand.
2 The snare of the fowler will never capture you,
And famine will bring you no fear;
Under His wings your refuge,
His faithfulness your shield. Refrain
3 You need not fear the terror of the night,
Nor the arrow that flies by day;
Though thousands fall about you,
Near you it shall not come. Refrain
4 For to His angels He’s given a command
To guard you in all of your ways;
Upon their hands they will bear you up,
Lest you dash your foot against a stone. Refrain
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
Through all eternity.
PRAYER (Stand)
SENDING HYMN How Firm a Foundation LSB 728
1 How firm a foundation, O saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word!
What more can He say than to you He has said
Who unto the Savior for refuge have fled?
2 “Fear not! I am with you, O be not dismayed,
For I am your God and will still give you aid;
I’ll strengthen you, help you, and cause you to stand,
Upheld by My righteous, omnipotent hand.
3 “The soul that on Jesus has leaned for repose
I will not, I will not, desert to his foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I’ll never, no never, no never, forsake!
4 “When through fiery trials your pathway will lie,
My grace, all-sufficient, will be your supply.
The flames will not hurt you; I only design
Your dross to consume and your gold to refine.
5 “Throughout all their lifetime My people will prove
My sov’reign, eternal, unchangeable love;
And then, when gray hairs will their temples adorn,
Like lambs they will still in My bosom be borne.”
DISMISSAL
Go in peace. Serve the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
POSTLUDE How Firm a Foundation Setting: Wilber Held
SUNDAY FELLOWSHIP: Board of Fellowship
Those serving:
Saturday, June 20, 5:00 p.m.:
Greeter: Steve Berg
Reader: Joe Iafrate
Sunday, June 21, 10:00 a.m.:
Greeter: Aaron Siebrass
Comm. assist: Jill Hecht
Reader: Aaron Siebrass
Acolyte: Miriam Buuck
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
913 O Holy Spirit, Enter In Text: Michael Schirmer, 1606–73, adapt.; (sts. 1, 3): tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–78, alt.; (st. 2): tr. The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941, alt. Tune: Philipp Nicolai, 1556–1608 Text and tune: Public domain
659 Lord of Our Life Text: Matthäus Apelles von Löwenstern, 1594–1648; tr. Philip Pusey, 1799–1855, alt. Tune: Antiphoner, 1746, Poitiers Text and tune: Public domain
641 You Satisfy the Hungry Heart Text: Omer E. Westendorf, 1916–97 Tune: Robert E. Kreutz, 1922–96 Text and tune: © 1977 Archdiocese of Philadelphia, admin. International Liturgy Publications. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110005326
727 On Eagles’ Wings Text and tune: Michael Joncas, 1951 Text and tune: © OCP Publications. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110005326
728 How Firm a Foundation Text: A Selection of Hymns, 1787, London, alt. Tune: Genuine Church Music, 1832, Winchester Text and tune: Public domain
