T r u e G r e a t n e s s

NUNC DIMITTIS SONG OF SIMEON LUKE 2:29-32 LSB 199 C Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace according to Thy word, for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation, which Thou has prepared before the face of all people, a light to lighten the Gentiles and the glory of Thy people Israel. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. THANKSGIVING LSB 200 P O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good, C and His mercy endureth forever. P Gracious Savior, we thank You that we have tasted and seen that You are good. C Having refreshed us with the assurance of Your forgiveness, sustain us on our earthly journeys as we serve You in humility all our days for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. BENEDICAMUS BENEDICTION LSB 201 P Bless we the Lord. C Thanks be to God. 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 give you peace. Numbers 6:24 26 C Amen, amen, amen. HYMN CHRIST BE MY LEADER LSB 861 CREATIVE WORSHIP FOR THE LUTHERAN PARISH, SERIES B, PART 4 2015 CONCORDIA PUBLISHING HOUSE ALL RIGHTS RESERVED; USED BY PERMISSION 12 T r u e G r e a t n e s s Week of Pentecost XVII September 19 & 20, 2015 St. Mark s Lutheran Church & School Steeleville, Illinois AS WE GATHER The Christian life is one of humble service. Throughout His earthly ministry Jesus spoke to the truth that His followers are called not to be served but to be servants. Although servanthood may objectively seem attractive to us, the reality of daily service is frequently far more challenging. Scripture points to the persecution of the prophets and the humiliation and betrayal of Jesus as examples of the cost of servanthood. So the simple prayer Make me a servant, Lord is one for us to repeat daily. PREPARATION HYMN JOYFUL, JOYFUL WE ADORE THEE LSB 803 INVOCATION P = Presider; C = Congregation P In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. C Alleluia, amen! SENTENCES MATTHEW 20:26 28; 1 JOHN 3:16, 18; 4:7, 8B P Whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many. C By this we know love, that He laid down His life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers and sisters. P Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth. C Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. God is love. 1

CONFESSION & FORGIVENESS P Let us humble ourselves before God, confess our sins to Him, and ask His gracious forgiveness. C We now confess to God almighty, before the whole company of heaven and before one another, that we are sinful human beings by nature and by deed. We have not always put God first. We have used His holy name in ways that do not honor Him. We have been careless in our devotion and have not always honored those set in authority over us. We have done violence to others in word and deed and have not always kept our thoughts, words, and deeds pure and honorable. We have taken what is not ours and have spoken that which is not helpful or true. We have wished for that which is not rightfully ours and have not put the best construction on all things and on all people. We pray God to have mercy on us, to forgive us all our sins, and to bring us to everlasting life. Amen. P The almighty and merciful Lord grant you pardon, forgiveness, and remission of all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ and by His authority, I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. C Alleluia, amen! INTROIT PSALM 37:5-7; ANTIPHON: 37:4 P Delight yourself in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart. C Commit your way to the LORD; trust in Him, and He will act. P He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday. C Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for Him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the one who carries out evil devices! (LSB 186) Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. 2 PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING P Blessed are You, O Lord eternal, and blessed be Your name. C In Your great love You sent Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be the promised Savior, whose life of service fulfilled Your will and completed the work of salvation. P With thankfulness we receive the blessings He has obtained for us. C Gather into one, we pray, all Your people who now join at Your Holy Table. P Bless and nourish us so that we are strengthened to serve You and our neighbor. C To You, O God, be all honor and glory in Your Holy Church, forever and ever! LORD S PRAYER MATTHEW 6:9 13 LSB 196 P Our Father who art in heaven C For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen. SATURDAY EVENING WORSHIP CONTINUES ON PAGE 12 WITH THE PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING. WORDS OF OUR LORD MATTHEW 26:26 28 MARK 14:22 24 LUKE 22:19 20 1 CORINTHIANS 11:23 25 PAX DOMINI THE PEACE OF THE LORD JOHN 20:19 LSB 197 P The peace of the Lord be with you always. C Amen. AGNUS DEI LAMB OF GOD JOHN 1:29 LSB 198 C O Christ, Thou Lamb of God, that takest away the sin of the world, have mercy upon us. O Christ, Thou Lamb of God, that takest away the sin of the world, have mercy upon us. O Christ, Thou Lamb of God, that takest away the sin of the world, grant us Thy peace. Amen. DISTRIBUTION HYMNS LORD, WHOSE LOVE THROUGH HUMBLE SERVICE LSB 848 O GOD OF MERCY, GOD OF MIGHT LSB 852 11

SACRAMENT The Lord s Supper is celebrated at this congregation in the confession and glad confidence that, as He says, our Lord gives into our mouths not only bread and wine but His very body and blood to eat and to drink for the forgiveness of sins and to strengthen our union with Him and with one another. Our Lord invites to His table those who trust His words, repent of all sin, and set aside any refusal to forgive and love as He forgives and loves us, that they may show forth His death until He comes. Because those who eat and drink our Lord s body and blood unworthily do so to their great harm and because Holy Communion is a confession of the faith which is confessed at this altar, any who are not yet instructed, in doubt, or who hold a confession differing from that of this congregation and The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, and yet desire to receive the sacrament, are asked first to speak with our pastor or an elder. Alcoholremoved white wine is offered in the center of the tray. For further study, see Matthew 5:23f.; 10:32f.; 18:15-35; 26:26-29; 1 Corinthians 11:17-34. PREFACE LSB 194 P The Lord be with you. 2 Timothy 4:22 C And with thy spirit. P Lift up your hearts. Colossians 3:1 C We lift them up unto the Lord. P Let us give thanks unto the Lord our God. Psalm 136 C It is meet and right so to do. PROPER PREFACE P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should give thanks to You, O Lord, for in Jesus Christ, the servant of all, You have shown Your saving love. C We eagerly anticipate that time when Jesus, who is our host at this Holy Meal, serves in Your kingdom as the master of the great and eternal heavenly banquet. P Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and singing: SANCTUS HOLY, HOLY, HOLY ISAIAH 6:3 & MATTHEW 21:9 LSB 195 C Holy, holy, holy Lord God of Sabaoth; heav n and earth are full of Thy glory. Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna in the highest. Blesséd is He, blesséd is He, blesséd is He that cometh in the name of the Lord. Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna in the highest. Sabaoth (SAH-bay-oath) is Hebrew for heavenly hosts. Hosanna is a Hebrew word of praise meaning save us now. 10 KYRIE LORD, HAVE MERCY LSB 186 C Lord, have mercy upon us. Christ, have mercy upon us. Lord, have mercy upon us. GLORIA IN EXCELSIS GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST LUKE 2:14 JOHN 1:29 LSB 187 P Glory be to God on high: C and on earth peace, goodwill toward men. We praise Thee, we bless Thee, we worship Thee, we glorify Thee, we give thanks to Thee for Thy great glory. O Lord God, heav nly King, God the Father Almighty. O Lord, the only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ; O Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father, that takest away the sin of the world, have mercy upon us. Thou that takest away the sin of the world, receive our prayer. Thou that sittest at the right hand of God the Father, have mercy upon us. For Thou only art holy; Thou only art the Lord. Thou only, O Christ, with the Holy Ghost, art most high in the glory of God the Father. Amen. PRAYER OF THE DAY P God of love, in His ministry Your Son Jesus put the needs of others ahead of His own. C Keep us from thinking of ourselves more highly than we ought, and help us to mirror Christ s love and seek the good of others through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Alleluia, amen! PLEASE BE SEATED 3

OLD TESTAMENT JEREMIAH 11:18-20 THE PROPHET COMMITS HIS CAUSE TO THE LORD. 18 The LORD made it known to me and I knew; then you showed me their deeds. 19 But I was like a gentle lamb led to the slaughter. I did not know it was against me they devised schemes, saying, Let us destroy the tree with its fruit, let us cut him off from the land of the living, that his name be remembered no more. 20 But, O LORD of hosts, who judges righteously, who tests the heart and the mind, let me see your vengeance upon them, for to you have I committed my cause. P This is the Word of our Lord. C Thanks be to God! GRADUAL PSALM 34:9, 19 P Fear the LORD, you His saints, C for those who fear Him lack nothing! P Many are the afflictions of the righteous, C but the LORD delivers them out of them all. EPISTLE JAMES 3:13 4:10 HUMBLE YOURSELF IN THE SIGHT OF THE LORD. 13 Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. 15 This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. 17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. 18 And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. 4 NICENE CREED (Sunday) 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 of the world to come. Amen. Us means all people. Christian: the ancient text reads catholic, meaning the whole Church as it confesses the wholeness of Christian doctrine. 9

APOSTLES CREED (Saturday) 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 everlasting. Amen. Christian: the ancient text reads catholic, meaning the whole Church as it confesses the wholeness of Christian doctrine. SATURDAY EVENING WORSHIP CONTINUES ON PAGE 11 WITH THE LORD S PRAYER. 8 1 What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? 2 You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. 4 You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 5 Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us? 6 But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you. P This is the Word of our Lord. C Thanks be to God! ALLELUIA PRAISE GOD LSB 190 PLEASE STAND C Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia. HOLY GOSPEL MARK 9:30 37 JESUS CALLS HIS DISCIPLES TO SERVE ALL PEOPLE. P The Holy Gospel according to St. Mark, the 9 th chapter. C (LSB 190) Glory to be to Thee, O Lord. 30 They went on from there and passed through Galilee. And he did not want anyone to know, 31 for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And when he is killed, after three days he will rise. 32 But they did not understand the saying, and were afraid to ask him. 33And they came to Capernaum. And when he was in the house he asked them, What were you discussing on the way? 34 But they kept silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. 35 And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all. 5

36 And he took a child and put him in the midst of them, and taking him in his arms, he said to them, 37 Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me. P This is the Gospel of our Lord. C (LSB 191) Praise be to Thee, O Christ! PLEASE BE SEATED HYMN LORD OF GLORY, YOU HAVE BOUGHT US LSB 851 SERMON DESCENDING INTO GREATNESS MARK 9:30-37 Goal: to gain a new and/or renewed view of biblical greatness Goof: avoiding pain and death, posturing for posterity, ignoring the least of these Gift: God the Father s gift of children; God the Son becoming a child; God the Spirit making us more childlike OFFERING HYMN CREATE IN ME LSB 956 PLEASE STAND While we worship the Lord with our offerings, please write your name(s) in the fellowship registers, indicating the date and time of the service you are attending. To help us serve you more effectively, please use the blanks provided to indicate a change in mailing address, phone numbers (home, work, cell, fax) or e-mail address(es). Please tear out the sheets with names on them and let them stick out of the top of the folder so that the ushers can collect them. Thank you! 6 PRAYER OF THE CHURCH P In peace, O gracious Lord, we pray and make our supplication. C The call to seek You we obey that blessed invitation. P With confidence that You will hear, C Your throne of mercy we draw near assured of affirmation. TEXT: GREGORY J. WISMAR 2015 CONCORDIA PUBLISHING HOUSE; ALL RIGHTS RESERVED; USED BY PERMISSION P Before the cross subdued we bow, to You our prayer addressing, C recounting all Your kindness now, and all our sins confessing; P beseeching You throughout each year to keep us in Your faith and fear C and crown us with Your blessing. TEXT: JAMES HAMILTON, 1819 96, ALTERED; PUBLIC DOMAIN P We praise You in this time of prayer with thanks for countless mercies: C Your wondrous goodness, love, and pow r our grateful song rehearses; P for You have been our strength and stay C in many a dark and dreary day of sorrow and reverses. TEXT: JAMES HAMILTON, 1819 96, ALTERED; PUBLIC DOMAIN P The needs of others, Lord, we share in humbly-voiced petitions. C We bring to You each thought and prayer for all needs and conditions P according to Your gracious will, C Your promise to respond fulfill with loving disposition. TEXT: GREGORY J. WISMAR 2015 CONCORDIA PUBLISHING HOUSE; ALL RIGHTS RESERVED; USED BY PERMISSION P We now remember, as we pray, our dear ones in Your caring C who brightly shine in endless day, past death and all despairing. P At our life s end, Lord, as Your own, C bring us with them around Your throne, the joys of heaven sharing. TEXT: GREGORY J. WISMAR 2006 CONCORDIA PUBLISHING HOUSE; ALL RIGHTS RESERVED; USED BY PERMISSION SPECIAL PETITIONS & THANKSGIVINGS P Then, gracious God, in years to come, we pray Your hand may guide us, C and, onward through our journey home, Your mercy walk beside us P until at last our ransomed life is safe from peril, toil, and strife C when heav n itself shall hide us. Alleluia, amen! 7