March 1 st, 2017 Ash Wednesday Service With Communion GRACE LUTHERAN CHURCH MISSOURI ~ SYNOD 308 ByrneStreet Smithville, TX 78957 512-237-2108 Pastor Timothy Appel 1
Welcome to Grace Lutheran Church! We give thanks that our gracious Lord Jesus Christ has gathered us together here for his Divine Service. Today again our Lord comes to serve us and lavish us with his gifts of life, forgiveness, and salvation. Rejoicing in those wonderful gifts, we sing with David in Psalm 84: How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD of hosts! A day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. In our readings today: On Ash Wednesday, we come down from the mountain with Jesus and set our face toward His cross and Passion in Jerusalem. We make our pilgrimage with Him by way of repentance, and thus we return to our dying and rising in Holy Baptism. Christ Jesus, who knew no sin, became our sin, so that by His death we are released from sin and in His resurrection we become the righteousness of God (2 Cor. 5:21). As God has thereby reconciled the world to Himself in Christ, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation (2 Cor. 6:2). He has provided the sacrificial Lamb, and He has left a blessing behind him, a grain offering and a drink offering (Joel 2:14) in the Eucharist. He summons us to return to Him with all our heart because He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love (Joel 2:13). We do so with faith and confidence in Him, and so we pray to Him as our Father, give to the needy from a heart of love and fast for the sake of repentance (Matt. 6:3 4, 6, 17 18). Requests, please give written requests to be included during our Prayers of the Church to an usher or an elder before worship service. Hearing, Ask an usher for one of the wireless hearing assistance units. Holy Communion is a sacred gift from Christ to His Church. In this meal, He gives His true body and blood under bread and wine into our mouths in order to forgive our sins and strengthen our union with Him and with one another (Matthew 26:26-28; 1 Corinthians 10:16-17). Christians receive this Sacrament trusting Jesus own words, repenting of all their sin, and confessing the faith taught in Holy Scripture together in unity (Matthew 5:23-24; Acts 2:42; 1 Corinthians 11:17-26). For this reason, and because those who eat and drink our Lord s body and blood unworthily do so to their great harm (1 Corinthians 11:27-34), we ask that those who have not yet been instructed and those who are not members of a congregation in fellowship with the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod to speak with the pastor before receiving Holy Communion. Attendance Registration cards are located in the Hymnal racks of each pew. We ask all members and our guests to complete one and pass it to the center aisles. An usher will collect them after the offering is taken to the altar. The cards are important as they enable our secretary to track members attendance as well as guests interested in joining our church. Thank you for your help. A Prayer Before Worship O Lord, our creator, redeemer, and comforter, as we come together to worship You in spirit and in truth, we humbly pray that You would open our hearts to the preaching of Your Word so that we may repent of our sins, believe in Jesus Christ as our only Savior, and grow in grace and holiness. Hear us for His sake. Amen CALL TO WORSHIP BELL 1
The congregation gathers in silence. P Dear brothers and sisters of our Lord Jesus Christ, on this day the Church begins a holy season of prayerful and penitential reflection. Our attention is especially directed to the holy sufferings and death of our Lord Jesus Christ. From ancient times the season of Lent has been kept as a time of special devotion, self-denial, and humble repentance born of a faithful heart that dwells confidently on His Word and draws from it life and hope. Let us pray that our dear Father in heaven, for the sake of His beloved Son and in the power of His Holy Spirit, might richly bless this Lententide for us so that we may come to Easter with glad hearts and keep the feast in sincerity and truth. Silence for reflection. Stand Litany LSB 288 P O Lord, P O Christ, P O Lord, P O Christ, C hear us. P God the Father in heaven, P God the Son, Redeemer of the world, P God the Holy Spirit, P Be gracious to us. C Spare us, good Lord. P Be gracious to us. C Help us, good Lord. P By the mystery of Your holy incarnation; by Your holy nativity; by Your baptism, fasting, and temptation; by Your agony and bloody sweat; by Your cross and passion; by Your precious death and burial; by Your glorious resurrection and ascension; and by the coming of the Holy Spirit, the Comforter: C Help us, good Lord. P In all time of our tribulation; in all time of our prosperity; in the hour of death; and in the day of judgment: C Help us, good Lord. P We poor sinners implore You C to hear us, O Lord. P To prosper the preaching of Your Word; to bless our prayer and meditation; to strengthen and preserve us in the true faith; and to give heart to our sorrow and strength to our repentance: C We implore You to hear us, good Lord. 2
Sit P To draw all to Yourself; to bless those who are instructed in the faith; to watch over and console the poor, the sick, the distressed, the lonely, the forsaken, the abandoned, and all who stand in our need of prayers; to give abundant blessing to all works of mercy; and to have mercy on us all; C We implore You to hear us, good Lord. P To turn our hearts to You; to turn the hearts of our enemies, persecutors, and slanderers; and to graciously hear our prayers; C We implore You to hear us, good Lord. P Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, C we implore You to hear us. P Christ, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, P Christ, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, P Christ, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, C grant us Your peace. P O Christ, C hear us. P O Lord, P O Christ, P O Lord, Amen. P O God, You desire not the death of sinners, but rather that they turn from their wickedness and live. We implore You to have compassion on the frailty of our mortal nature, for we acknowledge that we are dust and to dust we shall return. Mercifully pardon our sins that we may obtain the promises You have laid up for those who are repentant; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. C Amen. The pastor and assistants receive ashes first, followed by the congregation. Using the right thumb, the pastor or an assistant places the ashes on the forehead of each person in the sign of the cross, saying: Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return. As the ashes are received in silence, you are invited to meditate on all that Christ has done to forgive your sinfulness using the following Psalms and hymns: Psalms 13, 16, 32, 51, 116, 130, 141; Hymns 420, 422, 425, 430, 438, 607, 610, 614, 616. 3
Savior, When in Dust to Thee LSB 419 (Tune: TLH 166) 1 Savior, when in dust to Thee Low we bow the_adoring knee; When, repentant, to the skies Scarce we lift our weeping eyes; O, by all Thy pains and woe Suffered once for us below, Bending from Thy throne on high, Hear our penitential cry! 3 By Thine hour of dire despair, By Thine agony of prayer, By the cross, the nail, the thorn, Piercing spear, and torturing scorn, By the gloom that veiled the skies O er the dreadful sacrifice, Listen to our humble sigh; Hear our penitential cry! Stand 2 By Thy helpless infant years, By Thy life of want and tears, By Thy days of deep distress In the savage wilderness, By the dread, mysterious hour Of the_insulting tempter s pow r, Turn, O turn a fav ring eye; Hear our penitential cry! 4 By Thy deep expiring groan, By the sad sepulchral stone, By the vault whose dark abode Held in vain the rising God, O, from earth to heav n restored, Mighty, reascended Lord, Bending from Thy throne on high, Hear our penitential cry Confession LSB 184 P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness. P Our help is in the name of the Lord, C who made heaven and earth. P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord, C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin. Silence for reflection on God's Word and for self-examination. P O almighty God, merciful Father, C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being. Absolution LSB 185 P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit. C Amen. 4
Service of the Word Introit Ps. 51:1 3, 10 12; antiphon: Ps. 51:17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit. 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. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. Kyrie LSB 186 C Lord, have mercy upon us. Christ, have mercy upon us. Lord, have mercy upon us. Salutation LSB 189 P The Lord be with you. C And with thy spirit. Collect P Sit C Let us pray. Almighty and everlasting God, You despise nothing You have made and forgive the sins of all who are penitent. Create in us new and contrite hearts that lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness we may receive from You full pardon and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. Old Testament Reading Genesis 3:1 15 P The Old Testament Reading is from Genesis, the third chapter. 1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, Did God actually say, You shall not eat of any tree in the garden? 2 And the woman said to the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees in 5
the garden, 3 but God said, You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die. 4 But the serpent said to the woman, You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil. 6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths. 8 And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the LORD God called to the man and said to him, Where are you? 10 And he said, I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself. 11 He said, Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat? 12 The man said, The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate. 13 Then the LORD God said to the woman, What is this that you have done? The woman said, The serpent deceived me, and I ate. 14 The LORD God said to the serpent, Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. 15 I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel. P This is the Word of the Lord. C Thanks be to God. Epistle Revelation 22:1 5 P The Epistle is from Revelation, the twenty-second chapter. 1 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3 No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. 4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever. P This is the Word of the Lord. C Thanks be to God. 6
Stand Holy Gospel Mark 1:9 13 P The Holy Gospel according to Mark, the first chapter. C Glory to You, O Lord. 9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens opening and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And a voice came from heaven, You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased. 12 The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. 13 And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. And he was with the wild animals, and the angels were ministering to him. P This is the Gospel of the Lord. C Praise to You, O Christ. Apostles' Creed LSB 192 C 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 T everlasting. Amen. Sit O Lord, We Praise Thee LSB 617 7
Sermon Votum Stand Life-Giving Fruit P The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. C Amen. 8
Offertory LSB 192-193 Sharing of the Peace (At peace with God through Jesus, we greet each other in that peace.) The people may greet one another in the name of the Lord, saying, Peace be with you, as a sign of reconciliation and of the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Matt. 5:22 24; Eph. 4:1 3). Sit Offering LSB 193 Stand Prayer of the Church P C Close of the Prayers P C Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer. Into Your hands, O Lord, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in Your mercy, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. Service of the Sacrament Preface LSB 194 P The Lord be with you. C And with thy spirit. P Lift up your hearts. C We lift them up unto the Lord. 9
P Let us give thanks unto the Lord our God. C It is meet and right so to do. Proper Preface P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who overcame the assaults of the devil and gave His life as a ransom for many that with cleansed hearts we might be prepared joyfully to celebrate the paschal feast in sincerity and truth. 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 195 Lord s Prayer LSB 196 P C Lord, remember us in Your kingdom and teach us to pray: 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. 10
Words of Our Lord LSB 197 P 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 197 P C The peace of the T Lord be with you always. Amen. Agnus Dei LSB 198 Sit Distribution Jesus, Thy Blood and Righteousness LSB 563 11
5 When from the dust of death I rise To claim my mansion in the skies, This then shall be my only plea: Jesus hath lived and died for me. 6 Jesus, be endless praise to Thee, Whose boundless mercy hath for me, For me, and all Thy hands have made, An everlasting ransom paid. On My Heart Imprint Your Image LSB 422 Stand 12
Post-Communion Collect LSB 201 P O God the Father, the fountain and source of all goodness, who in loving-kindness sent Your only-begotten Son into the flesh, we thank You that for His sake You have given us pardon and peace in this Sacrament, and we ask You not to forsake Your children but always to rule our hearts and minds by Your Holy Spirit that we may be enabled constantly to serve You; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. C Amen. Benediction LSB 202 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. C Amen. Sit Lord Jesus, Think on Me LSB 610 Silent Prayer After Worship Almighty and merciful God, we have again worshiped in Your presence and received both forgiveness for our many sins and the assurance of Your love in Jesus Christ. We thank You for this undeserved grace and ask You to keep us in faith until we inherit eternal salvation; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. The Congregation departs in silence. 13