7th Sunday of Easter - 21 May 2023

 

Today's Service Leader and Speaker - Rev. G. Robert Heimgartner, Emeritus

 

Today's liturgy is the Divine Service, Setting One, LSB pages 151ff.

 

701 Draw Us to Thee

Text: Friedrich Funcke, 1642–99; tr. August Crull, 1845–1923, alt.
Tune: As hymnodus sacer, 1625, Leipzig
Text and tune: Public domain

 

Stand

 

The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.

 

Invocation

P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.

C Amen.

 

Exhortation 151

P If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

C But if we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

 

 

Confession of Sins LSB 151

P Let us then confess our sins to God our Father.

C Most merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean. We have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We justly deserve Your present and eternal punishment. For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.

 

Absolution LSB 151

P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.

C Amen.

 

 

Introit Psalm 27:1, 11a, 12; antiphon: vv. 7a, 8b, 9a

Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud. Alleluia.
Your face, Lord, do I seek; hide not your face from me. Alleluia.
The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
Teach me your way, O Lord;
give me not up to the will of my adversaries;
for false witnesses have risen against me,
and they breathe out violence.
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.
Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud. Alleluia.
Your face, Lord, do I seek; hide not your face from me. Alleluia.

 

 

Kyrie LSB 152

A In peace let us pray to the Lord. 

A For the peace from above and for our salvation let us pray to the Lord.

A For the peace of the whole world, for the well-being of the Church of God, and for the unity of all let us pray to the Lord.

A For this holy house and for all who offer here their worship and praise let us pray to the Lord.

A Help, save, comfort, and defend us, gracious Lord.

 

This Is the Feast LSB 155

 

Salutation and Collect of the Day

P The Lord be with you.

P Let us pray.

O King of glory, Lord of hosts, uplifted in triumph far above all heavens, leave us not without consolation but send us the Spirit of truth whom You promised from the Father; for You live and reign with Him and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

 

Sit

 

Catechesis - Asking a Blessing

P Today's catechetical reading is from the daily prayers - Asking a Blessing before a Meal. How does Dr. Luther suggest praying before mealtime?

C The eyes of all look to You, [O Lord,] and You give them their food at the proper time.  You open Your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing. (Ps. 145:15-16) (2)

P [Then shall be said the Lord’s Prayer and the following:]

C Lord God, heavenly Father, bless us and these Your gifts which we receive from Your bountiful goodness, through Jesus Christ, our Lord.  Amen. (1)

P What passages of Holy Scripture inform us in this regard?

C I am not worthy of the least of all the deeds of steadfast love and all the faithfulness that you have shown to your servant… –Genesis 32:10a (3)

As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him. –Psalm 103:13 (4)

Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me, lest I be full and deny you and say, “Who is the Lord?”–Proverbs 30:8-9a (5)

 

 

Choir - Father, We Thank You

 

 

Old Testament Reading Ezekiel 36:22–28

²²“Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations to which you came. ²³And I will vindicate the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, and which you have profaned among them. And the nations will know that I am the Lord, declares the Lord God, when through you I vindicate my holiness before their eyes. ²⁴I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land. ²⁵I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. ²⁶And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. ²⁷And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my just decrees. ²⁸You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, and you shall be my people, and I will be your God.”

A This is the Word of the Lord.

C Thanks be to God.

 

 

Epistle 1 Peter 4:7–14

⁷The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. ⁸Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. ⁹Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. ¹⁰As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: ¹¹whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

¹²Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. ¹³But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. ¹⁴If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.

A This is the Word of the Lord.

C Thanks be to God.

 

Stand

 

 

Verse of the Day Psalm 47:8; John 14:18a, 28; 16:22b

P Alleluia. God reigns over the nations; God sits on his holy throne. Alleluia.

C I will not leave you as orphans; I am going away, and I will come to you, and your hearts will rejoice. Alleluia.

 

Holy Gospel John 17:20–26

P The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the seventeenth chapter.

²⁰[Jesus said:] “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, ²¹that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. ²²The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, ²³I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. ²⁴Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. ²⁵O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me. ²⁶I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”

P This is the Gospel of the Lord.

 

Nicene Creed

C 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 T of the world to come. Amen.

 

Sit

 

 

539 Christ Is the World’s Redeemer

Text: attr. Columba, 521–597; tr. Duncan MacGregor, 1854–1923, alt.
Tune: Irish
Text and tune: Public domain

 

 

Sermon - One Plus One Plus One = One - Rev. G. Robert Heimgartner, Emeritus

 

 

Stand

 

Offertory LSB 159

 

Prayer of the Church

P In peace, let us pray to the Lord:

C Lord, have mercy.

P That the Lord may guard and protect His Church, so that she may be kept faithful in the face of temptation and persecution; and that she would be made fruitful in the work she does in Christ’s name, let us pray to the Lord:

C Lord, have mercy.

P That the Lord would raise up faithful pastors for the ministry of Word and Sacrament; that He would give us faithful men and women to be teachers, musicians, deaconesses and directors of Christian education and outreach; and that, as Matthias was set apart for service, these also may serve for the benefit of all, let us pray to the Lord:

C Lord, have mercy.

P That we may grow in the knowledge of God’s Word and be faithful teachers of that Word to our children and those not yet of the kingdom, let us pray to the Lord:

C Lord, have mercy.

P That the nations would enjoy peace, goodwill, an end to terror and bloodshed, and freedom from tyranny; and that our leaders would be faithful in their service for the protection of life and the pursuit of all that is just and good, let us pray to the Lord:

C Lord, have mercy.

P For our land and our people, that we may be shielded from pestilence, drought and hunger, let us pray to the Lord:

C Lord, have mercy.

P That the sick would be healed, the suffering relieved, the grieving comforted and the dying granted peace [especially we pray for _____________]; and that the Lord would strengthen them in their weakness, grant patience in their trials and give them endurance for the race set before them, let us pray to the Lord:

C Lord, have mercy.

P For all who receive the body and blood of Christ, that they would have the peace that surpasses understanding, the gladness that no man can take from them and the hope that does not fade away, let us pray to the Lord:

C Lord, have mercy.

P Lord God, heavenly Father, we give You thanks that through Your Holy Spirit You have appointed us to bear witness to Your dear Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ. Since the world cannot endure this testimony and persecutes us in every way, encourage and comfort us, we implore You, that we would not be offended by these crosses, but continue steadfast in Your testimony and be found always among those who know You and Your Son until we 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.

C Amen.

 

Sit

 

The offering is gathered.

 

Stand

 

Preface LSB 160

P The Lord be with you.

P Lift up your hearts.

P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

 

Proper Preface LSB 161

P It is truly good, right, and salutary . . . evermore praising You and saying:

 

Sanctus LSB 161

 

 

Prayer of Thanksgiving 161

P Blessed are You, Lord of heaven and earth, for You have had mercy on those whom You created and sent Your only-begotten Son into our flesh to bear our sin and be our Savior. With repentant joy we receive the salvation accomplished for us by the all-availing sacrifice of His body and His blood on the cross.

Gathered in the name and the remembrance of Jesus, we beg You, O Lord, to forgive, renew, and strengthen us with Your Word and Spirit. Grant us faithfully to eat His body and drink His blood as He bids us do in His own testament. Gather us together, we pray, 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. To You alone, O Father, be all glory, honor, and worship, with the Son and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

C Amen.

 

Lord's Prayer LSB 162

P Lord, remember us in Your kingdom and teach us to pray:

C 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

P Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My T body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”

In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My T blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”

 

Pax Domini LSB 163

P The peace of the Lord be with you always.

 

Agnus Dei LSB 163

 

Sit

 

 

Distribution

 

713 From God Can Nothing Move Me

 

5 Praise God with acclamation
    And in His gifts rejoice.
Each day finds its vocation
    Responding to His voice.
    Soon years on earth are past;
But time we spend expressing
The love of God brings blessing
    That will forever last!

 

6 Yet even though I suffer
    The world’s unpleasantness,
And though the days grow rougher
    And bring me great distress,
    That day of bliss divine,
Which knows no end or measure,
And Christ, who is my pleasure,
    Forever shall be mine.

 

D 7 For thus the Father willed it,
    Who fashioned us from clay;
And His own Son fulfilled it
    And brought eternal day.
    The Spirit now has come,
To us true faith has given;
He leads us home to heaven.
    O praise the Three in One!

Text: Ludwig Helmbold, 1532–98; (sts. 1–2, 6): tr. Gerald Thorson, 1921–2001, alt.; (st. 3): tr. Lutheran Service Book, 2006; (sts. 4–5): tr. Gregory J. Wismar, 1946; (st. 7): tr. Joseph Herl, 1959
Tune: Recueil de plusieurs chansons, 1557, Lyons, alt.
Text (sts. 1–2, 6): © 1978 Lutheran Book of Worship; (sts. 3–5, 7): © 2006 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110001518
Tune: Public domain

 

553 O Christ, Our Hope, Our Hearts’ Desire

 

5 Christ Jesus, be our present joy,
    Our future great reward;
Our only glory, may it be
    To glory in the Lord!

 

D 6 All praise to You, ascended Lord;
    All glory ever be
To Father, Son, and Holy Ghost
    Through all eternity!

Text: Latin, c. 5th–10th cent.; tr. John Chandler, 1806–76, adapt.
Tune: Harmonischer Lieder-Schatz, 1738, Frankfurt
Text and tune: Public domain

 

789 Praise and Thanksgiving

Text: Albert F. Bayly, 1901–84
Tune: Gaelic, 19th cent.
Text: © 1987 Oxford University Press. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110001518
Tune: Public domain

 

526 You Are the Way; through You Alone

Text: George W. Doane, 1799–1859, alt.
Tune: The CL Psalmes of David, 1615, Edinburgh
Text and tune: Public domain

 

Stand

 

Thank the Lord LSB 164

 

Post-Communion Collect

A Let us pray.

We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

 

Benediction LSB 166

P The Lord bless you and keep you.

The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.

The Lord look upon you with favor and T give you peace.

 

 

687 Thine Forever, God of Love

Text: Mary F. Maude, 1819–1913
Tune: Justin H. Knecht, 1752–1817
Text and tune: Public domain

 

 

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 © 2023 Concordia Publishing House.