Redeemer Evangelical Lutheran (ELS) 125 North Street PO Box 95 Iola, WI 54945-0095 Church Phone (715) 445-3172 RedeemerLutheranIola@gmail.com Rev. Michael Lilienthal Pastor Phone (715) 295-4020 28 May 2017 Easter 7, Exaudi Ann Hoyord, Keyboard Worship Focus: To all appearances, the Church is bereft of her Lord; his face seems hidden, so that, as the disciples did, she cowers in locked rooms. But we are not despondent as the world thinks. We are doing what our Lord commanded, and waiting waiting for him to clothe us with power, to baptize us with the Spirit: waiting for Pentecost and the beginning of our mission. And while we wait, we pray, not in fear of this world, but in confidence on God. And we wait not in laziness (which is a false comfort), but in eagerness, like runners at the starting line, waiting for the gunshot.
Welcome: The members of Redeemer Lutheran Church extend a heartfelt welcome to all guests and visitors that are with us today. We pray for God s blessings upon you through His Word. If there is anything we may do to make your worship with us more edifying, please let us know, and please leave your name in our guestbook as a record of your visit. Holy Communion: This morning we are blessed to partake of the Lord s Supper. This Sacrament is priceless to us, because it is a means of grace, assuring us of the forgiveness of our sins and of our fellowship with God. Since it is also a testimony of our fellowship with one another, we practice Fellowship Communion or Close Communion. We ask our visitors, therefore, that if you are not a member of an ELS or WELS congregation, please speak with the Pastor if you are interested in joining our confessional fellowship. BEFORE WORSHIP: Turn to p. 40 in your Hymnary, and pray the PRAYERS BEFORE WORSHIP and IN REMEMBRANCE OF BAPTISM. Then turn to p. 38 and ask yourself the CHRISTIAN QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS. Turn back to p. 40 and pray the prayer BEFORE HOLY COMMUNION. AFTER RECEIVING THE SACRAMENT: Return with joy to your seat, and sit in patient silence. Turn to p. 40 in your Hymnary and pray the prayer AFTER HOLY COMMUNION. TO CLOSE THE SERVICE: Contemplating the blessings you have received, turn to p. 40 in your Hymnary and pray the prayer AT THE END OF DIVINE SERVICE. ELH Divine Service: Rite Three Sing a NEW Song: Divine Service: Rite Three From the beginning of the project the ELS Worship Committee determined to chart a conservative course. It was our desire to present a [hymn]book that would be useful to congregations acquainted with the traditions of The Lutheran Hymnary (Rite One) and The Lutheran Hymnal (Rite Two). In the earliest stages of the work we determined to present the services in the English forms as they appeared in the books of 1913 and 1941. Congregations and pastors who made the initial request for a new book encouraged us to reconsider our conservative strategy and update the language of the old liturgies. We did this reluctantly and carefully, and used the New King James Version as our guide. Even more radical textual updating was suggested by the doctrine committee of the synod, and some of their suggestions were incorporated in the final drafts of the ELH (especially the text of the 2
creeds). Along with the updated language in the old services we hoped to include a new setting of the historic liturgy of the church that would reflect the linguistic and musical developments of recent decades. In Divine Service: Rite Three ELH presents an old text in new music. At first we tried to compile a new service using music from various composers. The results did not seem satisfactory and we determined to invite a single composer to write music for the new service. We imposed the strictest of limitations: the vocal range was limited to reflect the highs and lows of the modern singing congregation, and we hoped for a keyboard part that would be challenging but approachable. Alfred Fremder was invited to compose the music for the service. Fremder had been the choir director at Bethany in the 40 s and 50 s, and he was acquainted with the musical tradition of the ELS as it was represented in the Lutheran Hymnary of 1913. His experiences in music conducting, teaching, composing and editing along with his Bethany connection seemed to make him a logical choice for the task at hand. Imagine our joy when we received the completed score! It was a happy duty to be the first to play through the new service with its challenging Gloria in excelsis Deo and melodious Kyrie, Sanctus, and Agnus Dei! From the beginning we were sure that this would be a happy addition to the worship repertoire of those congregations longing for something that was musically fresh but theologically traditional. We owe Dr. Fremder a debt of gratitude for his gift to the ELH, and we thank his wife Ernie for her careful and capable copying of the score. Happy the congregation that is at home with the various liturgical forms in ELH where the worship of today is built upon the foundations of yesterday and looks forward in eager anticipation to the moment when tomorrow will be transformed into eternity! (Evangelical Lutheran Synod, ELH Divine Service: Rite Three, http://www.els.org/resources/worship/elh-divine-service-rite-three/) 3
THE DIVINE SERVICE Rite Three In structure, The Divine Service: Rite Three, is most similar to the Bugenhagen Service (Rite One, p. 41). The largest changes are in the music, which is all new, as an effort for the Church of Christ to ever sing new songs, and not to grow stale and lax, but watching, awake, for our Lord s coming. I. The Service of Preparation P: The service begins by taking us out of the world and putting us at the threshold of heaven, and this is done by the gift of music. We sing an opening hymn, intended to communicate to us the themes of this Sunday s service and to prepare us for what God will teach us today. 1. The Entrance Hymn or Introit #397 O Christ, Our Hope, Our Heart s Desire We confess in this hymn that Jesus is Creator and Ruler, that he died with all our sins upon him, and that he rose to defeat death forever. And therefore we pray that the rewards of all this may be ours, and that the joy of Jesus may surround and fill us. P: We will also today include the Introit for this Sunday, which is sung by the Pastor while the congregation listens. You may notice a new piece of furniture today as well: the small kneeler will be used by the Pastor during those prayers of penitence throughout the service. It is intended as a visual representation of the congregation throwing themselves on the mercy of God. The pastor will kneel during the Introit, the Confession of Sin, and the Kyrie. Today comes the Introit for the Sunday After Ascension, found on ELH p. 144. P: Hear, O God, when I cry with my voice. `Alleluia!/ The Lord is my Light and my Salvation; `whom shall I fear? When You said, `Seek My face, / my heart said to You: Your face, Lord, I will seek. Do not hide `Your face from me. Glory be to the Father `and to the Son/ and to `the Holy Ghost; as it was in the be`ginning, is now,/ and ever shall be, forever`more. Amen. 4
P: After our hearts and minds have been prepared by God through a hymn and the Introit, through which we enter into God s presence, God s service to us is initiated by The Invocation. This is the blessing that was placed upon each of us at our Baptism, and here God places it upon us again, reminding us that, as we have been baptized, so we continue: remade in the image of Christ. In this liturgy it immediately precedes the confession of sin, reminding us that each time we confess and are absolved, it is a return to our Baptism, and we have the same gifts of God: forgiveness, life, and salvation, surely ours. Therefore, come into God s presence today as you came into his family in Christ: 2. The Invocation and Confession of Sins P: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. C: Amen. P: Bless the Lord who forgives all our sins; C: His mercy endures forever. P: Almighty God, unto whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid, cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of Your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love You and worthily magnify Your holy name. C: Amen. P: Let us confess our sins: C: Almighty God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Maker of all things, Judge of the world: We confess that we have sinned against Your divine majesty by thought, word and deed, provoking Your wrath against us. We earnestly repent and are heartily sorry for our sins. We grieve to think of them. Their burden is intolerable. Have mercy upon us, gracious Father! Forgive us our sins for the sake of Your Son Jesus Christ. Grant that we may serve You in newness of life, to the honor and glory of Your holy name, through Jesus Christ our Lord. P: The service continues with The Kyrie Eleison, which is Greek for Lord, have mercy. This is, in song form, a pleading prayer with God for his mercy. It is the prayer the 5
lepers cried to Jesus, that the blind man cried to Jesus, and that Israel in bondage cried to God. We as sinners cry it out as well. We sing The Kyrie Eleison: 3. The Kyrie Eleison (Lord have mercy) P: The service continues with The Absolution, which is the declaration to you that your sins are forgiven. Hear the blessed word: 4. The Absolution P: Lift up your hearts. The Lord God, according to His promise, is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. By the command of Christ and in the authority of my holy office I forgive your sins, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. 6
P: Next, because we have received forgiveness of sins, we will sing that great hymn of praise, The Gloria in Excelsis Deo, which is Latin for Glory to God in the Highest! This is the joyous song the angels sang when they witnessed Christ born into the world, combined with a confession or creed of who the Triune God is and what He has done for us. 5. The Gloria in excelsis Deo (Glory to God in the Highest) 7
P: Now we come to the Collect, which is a prayer that collects all the people of God together in one unified prayer, and likewise collects all our petitions under this Sunday s theme into one prayer. Like the Introit, the Collect is not printed in the liturgy, 8
but is prayed by the Pastor on behalf of the congregation, while the congregation listens in silent agreement with the petitions. The collect appointed for today is number 76 on ELH p. 157: 6. The Collect P: Almighty, everlasting God, grant us always to have a devout will towards You, and the desire to serve Your majesty with a pure heart; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one true God, now and forever. Amen. II. The Service of the Word P: In The Service of the Word, God speaks to us through His Holy Scriptures, traditionally with three readings from the Bible, followed by a Sermon, concluding with The Prayer of the Church and the Offering. This year, because the 500 th anniversary of the Reformation is coming up on October 31 st, we look back to the scriptural teachings which make us Lutheran: the Lutheran Confessions. So, before we read any lessons from Scripture, our tradition this year has been to read from the Lutheran Confessions. Today, we read from the Formula of Concord (1577), which was written to unify all Lutherans under one banner. When Luther died there was a vacuum for leadership in the church and several parties formed within Lutheranism some began to deny the Bible s doctrine, and others wanted to keep it pure. Martin Chemnitz was a leader of the pure Lutherans and the chief editor of the Formula, an extremely detailed document defending the doctrine of the Bible against the false teachings of other church bodies. Today we read from the Epitome (shorter edition) of this work, article VII on the Holy Supper of Christ, which teaches us that in the Lord s Supper we truly receive the very body of Christ which was born of the Virgin Mary, and the very blood of Christ which trickled down the wooden cross. This is not a magical transformation produced by a priest, but the result of God s Word being connected to the earthly elements according to Christ s command. The Confessional Reading Formula of Concord, Epitome VII. [The Holy Supper of Christ] We believe, teach, and confess that in the in no other way than in their literal sense, Holy Supper the body and blood of and not as though the bread symbolized Christ are truly and essentially present the absent body and the wine the absent and are truly distributed and received blood of Christ, but that because of the with the bread and wine. We believe, sacramental union they are truly the teach, and confess that the words of the body and blood of Christ. Concerning testament of Christ are to be understood the consecration we believe, teach, and 9
confess that no man s work nor the recitation of the minister effect this presence of the body and blood of Christ in the Holy Supper, but it is to be ascribed solely and alone to the almighty power of our Lord Jesus Christ. But at the same time we believe, teach, and confess with one accord that in the celebration of the Holy Supper the words of Christ s institution should under no circumstances be omitted, but should be spoken publicly, as it is written, the cup of blessing which we bless (1 Cor. 10:16; 11:23 25). This blessing occurs through the recitation of the words of Christ. P: We continue with the first Scripture Lesson. The Old Testament lesson historically appointed for the 7 th Sunday of Easter is from the prophet Ezekiel, chapter 36, verses 25-27, in which the prophet reveals the reason God would restore His blessings to Israel: God made a promise to Abraham, the nation of Israel, and indeed the whole world, that in Abraham all the families of the earth shall be blessed (Gen. 12:3), a messianic promise God fulfills in Christ, and through Holy Baptism in his name: 7. The First Lesson Ezekiel 36:25-27 25I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your filthy idols. 26 Then I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you. I will remove the heart of stone from your body and give you a heart of flesh. 27 I will put my Spirit within you and lead you so that you will walk in my statutes, and you will be careful to observe my judgments. P: Following the first lesson comes a prescribed Gradual, Psalm, Anthem, or Hymn. The liturgy for Rite Three offers a Gradual that may be used in any season, but today, because it is so pertinent to the themes of this Sunday, I will read the Psalm appointed for the day, Psalm 27. 8. The Gradual, Psalm, an Anthem or Hymn Psalm 27, ELH p. 178 P: The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? against me, My heart shall not fear; Though an army may encamp The LORD is the strength of my Though war should rise against life; Of whom shall I be afraid? me, In this I will be confident. When the wicked came against me One thing I have desired of the To eat up my flesh, My enemies and foes, LORD, That will I seek: They stumbled and fell. That I may dwell in the house of the LORD All the days of my life, 10
To behold the beauty of the LORD, And to inquire in His temple. For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; In the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock. And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me; Therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the LORD. Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice! Have mercy also upon me, and answer me. When You said, Seek My face, My heart said to You, Your face, LORD, I will seek. Do not hide Your face from me; Do not turn Your servant away in anger; You have been my help; Do not leave me nor forsake me, O God of my salvation. When my father and my mother forsake me, Then the LORD will take care of me. Teach me Your way, O LORD, And lead me in a smooth path, because of my enemies. Do not deliver me to the will of my adversaries; For false witnesses have risen against me, And such as breathe out violence. I would have lost heart, unless I had believed That I would see the goodness of the LORD In the land of the living. Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD! 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, forevermore. Amen. P: The next Scripture lesson is from an Epistle, today from the first Epistle of St. Peter, chapter 4, verses 7-11, in which he urges Christians to live in service to one another, because we have received God s grace, by our service we glorify him, and the end of all things is near. Therefore, on account of God s grace given to us through the Holy Spirit, we show love by godly speech and godly service, in order to bring God s grace and forgiveness to one another, so that at the end of all things, we may all have access to God s eternal kingdom. 9. The Epistle 1 Peter 4:7-11 7The end of all things is near. So have sound judgment and be self-controlled for the sake of your prayers. 8 Above all, love each other constantly, because love covers a multitude of sins. 9 Be hospitable to one another without complaining. 11 10Serve one another, each according to the gift he has received, as good stewards of the many forms of God s grace. 11 If anyone speaks, let him do it as one speaking the messages of God. If anyone serves, let him do it as one serving
with the strength God supplies so that God may be glorified in every way through Jesus Christ. To him belong the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen. P: Before the reading of the third lesson, the Holy Gospel, we rejoice at the coming of God s Word of grace, his Gospel in Jesus Christ, and so we rejoice with that ancient word of God s people: Alleluia = Praise Yahweh! In the form of this song we use in Rite Three, we include Jesus prayer from John 17:17: Sanctify us in Your truth, because we rightly praise the Lord only as a result of our being saved and made holy by the coming of the Holy Spirit in his Word. Let us sing the Alleluia: 10. The Alleluia, Verse, Sequence, an Anthem or Hymn P: The final reading is from the Holy Gospel. Appointed for the 7 th Sunday of Easter is a reading from the Gospel according to St. John, beginning at the 15 th chapter, the 26 th verse, in which Christ forewarns about hostility from the unbelieving world against his disciples, showing how following Christ is not easy, but amid this trouble comes the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, who will continue to teach Christ s disciples about what he has done, and to strengthen us in the maintenance of our faith and the work of our mission, described by St. Peter as loving and serving one another according to our gifts, 12
especially of sharing the message of salvation with those who need to hear it. As is the custom of Christians throughout the world, please rise for the Gospel reading. 11. The Holy Gospel John 15:26-16:4 26 When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father he will testify about me. 27 And you also are going to testify, because you have been with me from the beginning. 16:1 I have told you these things so that you will not fall away. 2 They will put you out of the synagogues. In fact, a time is coming when anyone who murders you will think he is offering a service to God. 3 They will do these things because they have not known the Father or me. 4But I have told you these things so that when their time comes, you may remember that I told them to you. I did not tell you these things from the beginning, because I was with you. P: Having heard God speak these lessons from Scripture, the congregation responds by speaking a confession of faith, stating that we believe everything that our Lord teaches us. We do this in the words of an historic Creed, today the Nicene Creed, confessing especially the truth of Christ s identity and preparing ourselves for the Lord s Supper. 12. The Creed P: Let us confess our holy faith in the words of the 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 stubstance 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; 13
and the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures; and ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father; And He shall come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead; Whose kingdom shall 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. P: After this declaration of our faith, we turn to declaration in song, praising God and strengthening one another through the singing of The Hymn, which prepares our hearts and minds to listen to and absorb the message of the Sermon. 13. The Hymn #396 If God Had Not Been on Our Side Picture what would be our state if God truly abandoned us. This is a terrifying glimpse of a What If? Foes like wolves would devour us poor sheep. It would be like the earth itself swallowing us whole. It would be like a massive flood drowning us. But God has not abandoned us. He sent his Son to win salvation, and his Holy Spirit to strengthen us in faith, although we do not presently see our God. Like Noah, therefore, we are not consumed in the flood, but borne above it by the ark of God s Word. P: Jesus spoke to Jewish men nearly 2,000 years ago halfway across the world from us. What do his words mean for us? The purpose of the Sermon is to tell you how God s Word has not changed, and to tell you how it applies to you today. Our faith and hope has not changed for 2,000 years. The Sermon is the encouragement of one Christian, specifically called for the purpose, offered to his brothers and sisters so that they may be sustained in the faith. Pastors are described by the letter to the Hebrews as those who are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account (Heb. 13:17), and James says that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness (James 3:1). The work of a pastor is to shepherd the sheep of Christ, the Good Shepherd, to maintain your faith in its rightful place, based in Jesus and his promises. 14
This means declaring the very hard-to-hear message that you are sinful and deserve nothing but the wrath of God and condemnation for every evil deed, every hurtful or blasphemous word, and every wayward, even accidental, thought; and also that very incomprehensible message that Jesus took the guilt of those sins upon himself, so that you are clothed with his righteousness and instead of wrath receive nothing but forgiveness, life, and salvation. So our Sermon for the 7 th Sunday of Easter is based on the Holy Gospel for today, John 15:26-16:4, and will follow the theme: 14. The Sermon Persecution Is Coming, and So Is the Counselor P: Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, forevermore. Amen. P: Having heard the Word of God for us, we respond by coming to Him with all our petitions, united as one Body, His Church. Notice where the emphasis of our prayers are placed, how even in this prayer we are learning true faith. 15. The Prayer of the Church P: Let us pray for the Church and for all people according to their needs. P: Almighty God and Father, we thank You for all Your goodness and tender mercies, especially for the gift of Your dear Son, through whom You have revealed Your grace. We pray that You would plant Your Word in our hearts that we may cling to it in faith and bear much fruit in well doing. C: O God, in the multitude of Your mercy, hear us in the truth of Your salvation. P: Strengthen and defend Your Church, that by Your Word and Sacraments faith may grow and love toward all increase. Guide and protect all who spread abroad the light of Your truth throughout the world. Bless the schools, colleges, and seminaries of the Church that they may send forth laborers to serve You in the ministry of Your Word, in the ministry of mercy, and in all godly walks of life. Let the light of Your Word shine continually in our homes. Keep the children of the Church in the grace of their Baptism, and grant that all entrusted with their care may bring them up in true faith and obedience to Your will. C: Let all rejoice who trust in You, let them shout for joy because You defend them. 15
P: Guide and bless all lawful authority, especially our President, the Congress, and the Governor and legislators of this state. Give them wisdom and sound judgment, that justice may prevail and wickedness be hindered and punished. C: Hear, O Lord, and have mercy! Lord be our Helper! P: We commend to Your care all who are in trouble, want, sickness or any other adversity, especially those who are suffering for Your name and Your truth. Comfort them, O God, with Your Holy Spirit, that in all their afflictions they may acknowledge Your fatherly will and rejoice in Your gracious and speedy deliverance. C: O Lord, be with all in trouble. Hear their prayers to the honor of Your name. P: Let Your blessing rest on seed time and harvest, on commerce and industry, on medicine and science; sanctify the arts and culture, the rest and leisure of Your people. Protect all who travel, and care for all whose labor is difficult or dangerous. Bless all who in their daily calling endeavor to do Your will, and give them the assurance that their work is pleasing in Your sight. C: Blessed are You, O Lord, for You have not turned away from our prayer! (Special intercessions may be added.) P: Protect our bodies and souls from all harm and danger; support us in our last hour with Your mercy; and finally admit us into Your eternal joy, to love and serve You in the blessed company of Your saints and angels forevermore; through Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one true God, now and forever. Amen. C: The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit. The righteous cry out and the Lord hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles. P: The Prayer of the Church complete, we draw to the end of the Service of the Word. This end is marked by the Apostolic Benediction, a blessing in the name of the Triune God which promises that the message you have received from the Word will take root in your hearts for the strengthening of your faith, and that the petitions which you have brought to God in the Prayer will be heard because of God s grace through Jesus Christ. It is in the sphere of this blessing, too, that we then come to the next part of the liturgy: the Service of Holy Communion. Therefore receive the blessing of God: 16
16. The Apostolic Benediction P: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen. P: Having received these good things, we give back to God, partially in the form of material giving of money, and partially in the form of praise and song in the Offering. 17. & 18. An Offertory Hymn and The Offering (As the offering is brought to the altar, please stand and sing the Offertory Hymn) ELH #340:5, 6 Jesus lives! To Him my heart III. The Service of Holy Communion P: Now we continue to the reception of the second great thing in the service of God: He has fed us with the Word, and now He will feed us with His Son s body and blood in the Lord s Supper. We sing this liturgy to emphasize that this meal is an otherworldly mystery: it is a foretaste of heaven, when we will be surrounded by the singing of our fellow Christians from all time as well as those who stand beside us today. Consider what the words mean and why they are sung by the pastor or by yourselves, to God and to one another. We bear one another up as the Body of Christ, even as we prepare to eat His body and drink His blood. 19. The Exhortation P: Dear friends in Christ! In order that you may receive this holy Sacrament worthily, it is good that you consider what you must now believe and do. From the words of Christ: This is My body, which is given for you; this is My blood which is shed for you for the remission of sins you should believe that Jesus Christ is Himself present with His body and blood, as the words declare. From Christ s words for the remission of sins you should believe that Jesus Christ bestows upon you His body and blood to confirm unto you the forgiveness of all your sins. And finally, you should do as Christ commands you when He says, Take, eat; drink of it, all of you, and this do in remembrance of Me. If you believe these words of Christ, and do as He therein has commanded, then you have rightly examined yourselves and may worthily eat Christ s body and drink his blood for the forgiveness of all your sins. You should also unite in giving thanks to Almighty God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for so great a gift, and should love one another with a pure heart, and thus with the whole Christian Church have comfort and joy in Christ our Lord. To this end may God the Father grant you His grace; through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. 17
20. The 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 after His resurrection appeared openly to all His disciples and in their sight was taken up to heaven that He might make us partakers of His divine nature. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying: 18
21. The Sanctus (Holy, Holy, Holy) 19
P: In keeping with the otherworldly nature of this service, we sing rather than speak the Lord s Prayer, which is traditionally considered the Table Prayer of the Lord s Supper. Following this are the all-important Words of Institution, which are the assurance that the Sacrament we partake in is the same that Christ instituted, and so we truly receive the things it promises. Let us sing together the prayer our Lord has taught us: 20
22. The Lord s Prayer 23. The Words of Institution P: Our Lord Jesus Christ, the same night in which He was betrayed, took bread and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to His disciples saying: Take, eat; this is My body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me. In the same way also He took the cup after supper, gave thanks, and gave it to them saying: Drink 21
of it all of you; this cup is the New Testament in My blood, which is shed for you and for many, for the remission of sins. This do as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me. P: As we witness with eyes of faith our Lord coming to us in this Supper, we sing the words that John the Baptist proclaimed when he saw his Lord coming to him: Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world ; which pronounces also the purpose for which Jesus visits his people, including now, when he visits us in this Supper. It is to grant us forgiveness. Let us sing the Agnus Dei. 24. The Agnus Dei (Lamb of God) 22
25. The Distribution P: Our Lord has prepared a table before us. God grant that we do not despise his gifts, but value them as he has intended! Those who wish to receive the common cup are invited to the first table. Those who wish to receive individual cups will be ushered after. P: After the distribution, we sing a hymn of thanks, reminding us of all the blessings we have received in this Supper and praising God for them. #309 A Wondrous Mystery Is Here When the Lord s Supper is described as a mystery, that means that it is something unable to be understood by earthly means, something otherworldly that comes into our world. It is a mystery of love, by which Christ s body and blood come to us for the forgiveness of all our sins. This is a great blessing given by God, discerned not by our senses or reason, but by faith. P: In keeping with the spirit of thanksgiving, as we give thanks for our home meals, we offer a prayer, a Collect of Thanksgiving for this meal. 26. The Collect of Thanksgiving P: Let us give thanks and pray. Almighty God and Father, we thank You for feeding us with the most precious body and blood of Your Son, our Savior Jesus Christ, and for assuring us in these holy mysteries that we are living members of the Body of Your Son, and heirs of Your eternal kingdom. Send us out to do the work You have given us to do, to love and serve You as faithful witnesses of Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one true God, now and forever. P: Closing the Service of Holy Communion is the Aaronic Benediction, which Aaron was instructed to speak over the people, blessing them with the name of the Triune God. You have received the Lord s great gifts, so the blessing that the Pastor offers is a wish 23
that what you have received might be for your benefit, your continued strengthening, and your salvation into eternity. Therefore, receive the benediction: 27. The Benediction P: The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious unto you. The Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace. P: Finally, the closing hymn is meant to sum up the themes of the service that have preceded, wrapping it up and being the part that we keep in memory as we depart this sanctuary. Today, in keeping with the themes of Exaudi Sunday, while we wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit, we sing hymn #395: Awake, Thou Spirit, Who Didst Fire. 28. The Closing Hymn #395 Awake, Thou Spirit, Who Didst Fire The Holy Spirit did come to the Church on Pentecost, as Jesus had promised. We ask, therefore, that the Spirit would come to us as well, as Jesus has promised, to strengthen our faith, help us in trouble, feed us with the Word, and make us grow in the truth. This Week at Redeemer Today 10:30 a.m. Worship with the Lord s Supper Tuesday 5/30 8:00 a.m. 8:30 a.m. Office of Prime Bible Study Looking Forward to Sunday Morning Wednesday 5/31 6:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m. Bible Study Reformation Office of Compline Saturday 6/3 9:00 a.m. 6:30 p.m. Men s Breakfast Smalcald Articles Pentecost Vigil Service with the Lord s Supper Next Sunday 10:30 a.m. Worship Suggested Readings This Week Monday Zechariah 13:7-9 John 10:17-21 Tuesday Zechariah 14:1-21 John 10:22-31 Wednesday Isaiah 66:10-24 John 10:32-42 Thursday Jeremiah 46:27-28 John 11:1-27 Friday Isaiah 32:9-20 John 11:28-44 Saturday Isaiah 57:15-21 John 11:45-57 24