| Prelude Greeting and Welcome Lighting of the Candles Hymn of Invocation –790 Praise to the Lord, the Almighty Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation! O my soul, praise Him, for He is your health and salvation! Let all who hear, Now to His temple draw near, Joining in glad adoration! Praise to the Lord, who o’er all things is wondrously reigning And, as on wings of an eagle, uplifting, sustaining. Have you not seen, All that is needful has been Sent by His gracious ordaining? Praise to the Lord, who has fearfully, wondrously, made you, Health has bestowed and, when heedlessly falling, has stayed you. What need or grief, Ever has failed of relief? Wings of His mercy did shade you. Praise to the Lord, who will prosper your work and defend you; Surely His goodness and mercy shall daily attend you. Ponder anew, What the Almighty can do As with His love He befriends you.
+ Preparation + Invocation P: In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. C: Amen. Opening Sentences P. The LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, C. and the man became a living creature. P. Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: C. Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. P. And when [Jesus] had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, C. “Receive the Holy Spirit.” P. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness. Confession and Absolution P. Confident of His grace and mercy, let us confess our sins to our heavenly Father. C: Merciful Father, we confess that we have erred and wandered from Your ways like stray sheep. We have followed the desires of our own hearts. We have offended against Your laws. We have left undone those things we ought to have done; we have done those things we ought not to have done; we cannot help ourselves. O Lord, have mercy on us. Breathe new life upon us; teach, reprove, correct, and restore us through Your Word that we may live in praise of Your holy name. P. In the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh, all your sins were atoned for and your sinfulness forgiven. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. C. Amen + Word + Kyrie P. In peace let us pray to the Lord. C. Lord, have mercy. P. For the peace from above and for our salvation let us pray to the Lord. C. Lord, have mercy. P. 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. C. Lord, have mercy. P. For this holy house and for all who offer here their worship and praise let us pray to the Lord. C. Lord, have mercy. P Help, save, comfort, and defend us, gracious Lord. C. Amen. ALL: 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. Salutation and Prayer of the Day P: Let us pray. Gracious God, You have given us Your Holy Word in Scripture, which reveals Your grace and mercy shown us in our Lord Jesus Christ. C: Mercifully grant that Your Holy Spirit guide our daily response as we pray, praise, and give thanks; P: through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. C: Amen. First Reading
Nehemiah8:112 All the people gathered as one man into the square before the Water Gate. And they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses that the Lord had commanded Israel. So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, both men and women and all who could understand what they heard, on the first day of the seventh month. And he read from it facing the square before the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women and those who could understand. And the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law. And Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden platform that they had made for the purpose. And beside him stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah on his right hand, and Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam on his left hand. And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was above all the people, and as he opened it all the people stood. And Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God, and all the people answered, “Amen, Amen,” lifting up their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground. Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, the Levites, helped the people to understand the Law, while the people remained in their places. They read from the book, from the Law of God, clearly, and they gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading. And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn or weep.” For all the people wept as they heard the words of the Law. Then he said to them, “Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” So the Levites calmed all the people, saying, “Be quiet, for this day is holy; do not be grieved.” And all the people went their way to eat and drink and to send portions and to make great rejoicing, because they had understood the words that were declared to them. This is the Word of the Lord C: Thanks be to God. Epistle –2 Timothy 3:14-4:5 As for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work. I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. P: This is the Word of the Lord. C: Thanks be to God. Holy Gospel – Luke 18:1-8 P: The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke, the eighteenth chapter. C: Glory to You, O Lord. And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’” And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” P: This is the Gospel of the Lord. C: Praise to You, O Christ. Apostles' Creed 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. Children’s Hymn- Pass it On It only takes a spark To get a fire going And soon all those around Can warm up in its glowing That's how it is with God's love Once you've experienced it You spread His love to ev'ryone You want to pass it on What a wondrous time is spring When all the trees are budding The birds begin to sing The flowers start their blooming That's how it is with God's love Once you've experienced it You want to sing it's fresh like spring You want to pass it on Children’s Sermon – Tim Cosby Hymn of the Day – 752 Be Still, My Soul Be still, my soul; the Lord is on your side; Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain; Leave to your God to order and provide; In ev’ry change He faithful will remain. Be still, my soul; your best, your heav’nly Friend Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end. Be still, my soul; your God will undertake To guide the future as He has the past. Your hope, your confidence let nothing shake; All now mysterious shall be bright at last. Be still, my soul; the waves and winds still know His voice who ruled them while He dwelt below. Be still, my soul; though dearest friends depart And all is darkened in this vale of tears; Then you will better know His love, His heart, Who comes to soothe your sorrows and your fears. Be still, my soul; your Jesus can repay From His own fullness all He takes away. Sermon: Pastor Scott
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