| Prelude Greeting and Welcome Lighting of the Candles Hymn of Invocation – Lift High the Cross (LSB 837, verses 1-2) Refrain: Lift high the cross, the love of Christ proclaim Till all the world adore His sacred name. Come, Christians, follow where our Captain trod, Our king victorious, Christ, the Son of God. Refrain Led on their way by this triumphant sign, The hosts of God in conqu’ring ranks combine. Refrain + Preparation + Invocation P: In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. C: Amen. Opening Sentences - 1 Corinthians 1:18, 30 P: The word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, C: but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. P: He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, C: whom God made our wisdom and our righteousness and sanctification and redemption. Confession and Absolution P: Let us go to the throne of God’s grace, confessing our sins and asking His mercy for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ. 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. P: As a called and ordained servant of Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. C: Amen. Thanks be to God. Hymn – Lift High the Cross (LSB 837, verses 4,6) Refrain: Lift high the cross, the love of Christ proclaim Till all the world adore His sacred name. O Lord, once lifted on the glorious tree, As Thou hast promised, draw us all to Thee. Refrain So shall our song of triumph ever be: Praise to the Crucified for victory! Refrain + Word + Salutation and Prayer of the Day P: The Lord be with you. C: And also with you. P: Let us pray. Almighty God, You know we live in the midst of so many dangers that in our frailty we cannot stand upright. C: Grant strength and protection to support us in all dangers and carry us through all temptations; 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 – Micah 6:1–8 Hear what the Lord says: Arise, plead your case before the mountains, and let the hills hear your voice. Hear, you mountains, the indictment of the Lord, and you enduring foundations of the earth, for the Lord has an indictment against his people, and he will contend with Israel. “O my people, what have I done to you? How have I wearied you? Answer me! For I brought you up from the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of slavery, and I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. O my people, remember what Balak king of Moab devised, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him, and what happened from Shittim to Gilgal, that you may know the saving acts of the Lord.” “With what shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?” He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? P: This is the Word of the Lord. C: Thanks be to God. Epistle – 1 Corinthians 1:18–31 For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.” Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, whom God made our wisdom and our righteousness and sanctification and redemption. Therefore, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” P: This is the Word of the Lord. C: Thanks be to God. Holy Gospel – Matthew 5:1-12 P: The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the fifth chapter. C: Glory to You, O Lord. Seeing the crowds, [Jesus] went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. P: This is the Gospel of the Lord. C: Praise to You, O Christ. Apostles' Creed 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 – Lord, Be Glorified (AGPS 165) In my life Lord, be glorified, be glorified, In my life Lord, be glorified today. In Your church Lord, be glorified, be glorified, In Your church Lord, be glorified today. Children’s Message – Tim Cosby Hymn of the Day – When I Survey the Wondrous Cross (LSB 425) When I survey the wondrous cross On which the Prince of Glory died, My richest gain I count but loss And pour contempt on all my pride. Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast Save in the death of Christ, my God; All the vain things that charm me most, I sacrifice them to His blood. See, from His head, His hands, His feet Sorrow and love flow mingled down! Did e’er such love and sorrow meet Or thorns compose so rich a crown? Were the whole realm of nature mine, That were a tribute far too small; Love so amazing, so divine, Demands my soul, my life, my all! Sermon | 
