| Prelude
Greeting and Welcome
Lighting of the Candles
Hymn of Invocation – My Faith Looks Up to Thee (LSB 702)
My faith looks up to Thee, Thou Lamb of Calvary, Savior divine. Now hear me while I pray; Take all my guilt away; O let me from this day be wholly Thine!
May Thy rich grace impart Strength to my fainting heart; My zeal inspire! As Thou hast died for me, Oh, may my love to Thee Pure, warm, and changeless be, a living fire!
While life’s dark maze I tread And griefs around me spread, Be Thou my guide; Bid darkness turn to day, Wipe sorrow’s tears away, Nor let me ever stray from Thee aside.
When ends life’s transient dream, When death’s cold, sullen stream Shall o’er me roll, Blest Savior, then, in love, Fear and distrust remove; O bear me safe above, a ransomed soul!
+ Preparation +
Invocation P: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. C: Amen.
Confession and Absolution P: Our help is in the name of the Lord, C: who made heaven and earth. P: If You, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand? C: But with You there is forgiveness; therefore You are feared. P: Since we are gathered to hear God’s Word, call upon Him in prayer and praise, and receive the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ in the fellowship of this altar, let us first consider our unworthiness and confess before God and one another that we have sinned in thought, word, and deed, and that we cannot free ourselves from our sinful condition. Together as His people let us take refuge in the infinite mercy of God, our heavenly Father, seeking His grace for the sake of Christ, and saying: God, be merciful to me, a sinner. C: Almighty God, have mercy upon us, forgive us our sins, and lead us to everlasting life. Amen. P: Almighty God, merciful Father, in Holy Baptism You declared us to be Your children and gathered us into Your one, holy Church, in which You daily and richly forgive us our sins and grant us new life through Your Spirit. Be in our midst, enliven our faith, and graciously receive our prayer and praise; through Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. C: Amen.
+ Word +
Introit P: I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, and I lay down my life for the sheep. C: He chose David his servant and took him from the sheepfolds; from following the nursing ewes he brought him to shepherd Jacob his people, Israel his inheritance. P: With upright heart he shepherded them and guided them with his skillful hand. C: But we your people, the sheep of your pasture, will give thanks to you forever; from generation to generation we will recount your praise. 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 P: I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, and I lay down my life for the sheep.
Kyrie Lord, have mercy; Christ, have mercy; Lord, have mercy.
Gloria in Excelsis To God on high be glory And peace to all the earth; Goodwill from God in heaven Proclaimed at Jesus' birth! We praise and bless You, Father; Your holy name we sing— Our thanks for Your great glory, Lord God, our heav'nly King. To You, O sole-begotten, The Father's Son, we pray; O Lamb of God, our Savior, You take our sins away. Have mercy on us, Jesus; Receive our heartfelt cry, Where You in pow'r are seated At God's right hand on high— For You alone are holy, You only are the Lord. Forever and forever, Be worshiped and adored; You with the Holy Spirit Alone are Lord Most High, In God the Father's glory. "Amen!" our glad reply.
Salutation and Collect of the Day P: The Lord be with you. C: And also with you. P: Let us pray. Almighty God, merciful Father, since You have wakened from death the Shepherd of Your sheep, grant us Your Holy Spirit that when we hear the voice of our Shepherd we may know Him who calls us each by name and follow where He leads; through the same 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 – Esther 2:12-18 Now when the turn came for each young woman to go in to King Ahasuerus, after being twelve months under the regulations for the women, since this was the regular period of their beautifying, six months with oil of myrrh and six months with spices and ointments for women— when the young woman went in to the king in this way, she was given whatever she desired to take with her from the harem to the king’s palace. In the evening she would go in, and in the morning she would return to the second harem in custody of Shaashgaz, the king’s eunuch, who was in charge of the concubines. She would not go in to the king again, unless the king delighted in her and she was summoned by name. When the turn came for Esther the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her as his own daughter, to go in to the king, she asked for nothing except what Hegai the king’s eunuch, who had charge of the women, advised. Now Esther was winning favor in the eyes of all who saw her. And when Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus into his royal palace in the tenth month, which is the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign, the king loved Esther more than all the women, and she won grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins, so that he set the royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti. Then the king gave a great feast for all his officials and servants; it was Esther’s feast. He also granted a remission of taxes to the provinces and gave gifts with royal generosity.
P: This is the Word of the Lord. C: Thanks be to God.
Epistle – Revelation 7:9–17 After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.” Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?” I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. “Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
P: This is the Word of the Lord. C: Thanks be to God.
Alleluia and Verse Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. These things are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. Holy Gospel – John 10:22-30 P: The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the tenth chapter. C: Glory to You, O Lord.
At that time the Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the colonnade of Solomon. So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name bear witness about me, but you do not believe because you are not part of my flock. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.”
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 – Brothers and Sisters in Christ (AGPS 78)
Sing Alleluia! Amen! Let your prayers and your praises ascend. Lift up your voices and sing To our Lord God, our Savior and King! Here brought together by grace, We are gathered as friends in this place.
And assembled as one, in the name of the Son, Lifting hearts, lifting hands, Celebrating as friends And proclaiming the Lord All our praises afford. We are brothers and sisters in Christ.
Children’s Message – Pastor Scott
Hymn of the Day – For All the Faithful Women (LSB 855 v. 1, 11, 3, 4)
For all the faithful women Who served in days of old, To You shall thanks be given; To all, their story told. They served with strength and gladness In tasks Your wisdom gave. To You their lives bore witness, Proclaimed Your pow’r to save.
We sing Your praise for Mary, Who came at Easter dawn To look for Jesus’ body And found her Lord was gone. But, as with joy she saw Him In resurrection light, May we by faith behold Him, The Day who ends our night!
O God, for saints and servants, Those named and those unknown In whom through all the ages Your light of glory shone, We offer glad thanksgiving And fervent prayer we raise That, faithful in Your service, Our lives may sing Your praise.
All praise to God the Father! All praise to Christ the Son! All praise the Holy Spirit, Who binds the Church in one! With saints who went before us, With saints who witness still, We sing glad Alleluias And strive to do Your will.
Sermon
Choral Offertory – The Lamb Upon the Throne
(Lyrics provided for reflection)
To the Lamb upon the throne we offer songs of praise For we are Your very own purchased by Your grace You became the sacrifice dying for our sin We will reign with You on high when You come again Hallelujah, we worship You, glory to the Lamb alone Hallelujah, we worship You, the Lamb upon the throne When we Your bride adorned in white stand before Your throne We will sing salvation's song the angels have not known Blessing and honor are forevermore To the Lamb upon the throne, our sovereign Lord Hallelujah, we worship You, glory to the Lamb alone Hallelujah, we worship You, the Lamb upon the throne
Offering
Prayers + Celebrating birthdays this week: 13 – Paul Barbercheck; 16 – Chris Schaefer, Joseph Grossenheider
Special Celebrations and Needs: + Church family members: Sharon Gaal, recovering from shoulder surgery; Sue DeFosset, undergoing treatment for ongoing back issues; Sylvia Bach, suffering from vertigo; Jack Bentzinger, recovering from a fall; Cathie Albers, recovering from hip surgery; Paul Schultz, in hospice + Friends of our congregation: Amanda, niece of Vicki Devenport, recovering from emergency abdominal surgery + Those who are homebound or in nursing facilities: Jules Bush, Frank & Sharon Gaal, Mary Guion, Jane Keathley, Vicki Lucas, Cindy Smith, Shirley Williams
+ Sacrament +
Preface P: The Lord be with you. C: And also with you. P: Lift up your hearts. C: We lift them to the Lord. P: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. C: It is right to give Him thanks and praise. P: It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, O Lord, holy Father, almighty and everlasting God, for the countless blessings You so freely bestow on us and all creation. Above all, we give thanks for Your boundless love shown to us when You sent Your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, into our flesh and laid on Him our sin, giving Him into death that we might not die eternally. Because He is now risen from the dead and lives and reigns to all eternity, all who believe in Him will overcome sin and death and will rise again to new life. 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 Holy, holy, holy Lord God of Sabaoth adored; Heav'n and earth with full acclaim shout the glory of Your name. Sing hosanna to the highest, sing hosanna to the Lord; Truly blest is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Prayer of Thanksgiving P: Blessed are You, O Lord our God, king of all creation, for You have had mercy on us and given Your only-begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed. By His death, He has redeemed us from bondage to sin and death, and by His resurrection, He has delivered us into new life in Him. Grant us to keep the Feast in sincerity and truth, faithfully eating His body given into death and drinking His life's blood poured out for our salvation until we pass through death to the promised land of life eternal. Hear us as we pray in His name and as He has taught us:
Lord’s Prayer 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.
The Words of Our Lord 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 + 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 + 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 P: The peace of the Lord be with you always. C: Amen.
Agnus Dei O Jesus Christ, true Lamb of God, You take the sin of the world away; O Jesus Christ, true Lamb of God Have mercy on us, Lord, we pray. O Jesus Christ, true Lamb of God, You take the sin of the wolrd away; Have mercy on us, Jesus Christ, And grant us peace, O Lord, we pray.
Distribution
Distribution Hymn – Lamb of God (LSB 550)
Your only Son, no sin to hide, But You have sent Him from Your side To walk upon this guilty sod, And to become the Lamb of God. Refrain
Refrain: O Lamb of God, sweet Lamb of God, I love the holy Lamb of God! O wash me in His precious blood, My Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God.
Your Gift of love they crucified, They laughed and scorned Him as He died: The humble King they named a fraud, And sacrificed the Lamb of God. Refrain
I was so lost, I should have died, But You have brought me to Your side To be led by Your staff and rod, And to be called a lamb of God. Refrain
Blessing
Nunc Dimittis O Lord, now let Your servant Depart in heav'nly peace, For I have seen the glory Of Your redeeming grace: A light to lead the Gentiles Unto Your holy hill, The glory of Your people, Your chosen Israel.
All glory to the Father, All glory to the Son, All glory to the Spirit, Forever Three in One For as in the beginning, Is now, shall ever be, God's triune name resounding Through all eternity.
Post-Communion Collect P: Let us pray. We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. C: Amen.
Benedicamus and Benediction P: Let us bless 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. C: Amen.
Closing Hymn – O God, Our Help in Ages Past (LSB 733)
O God, our help in ages past, Our hope for years to come, Our shelter from the stormy blast, And our eternal home:
Under the shadow of Thy throne Thy saints have dwelt secure; Sufficient is Thine arm alone, And our defense is sure.
Before the hills in order stood Or earth received her frame, From everlasting Thou art God, To endless years the same.
A thousand ages in Thy sight Are like an evening gone, Short as the watch that ends the night Before the rising sun.
Time, like an ever-rolling stream, Soon bears us all away; We fly forgotten as a dream Dies at the op’ning day.
O God, our help in ages past, Our hope for years to come, Be Thou our guard while troubles last And our eternal home!
Postlude
Altar flowers are giving this morning by Becci Lauber-Sasser In thanksgiving for the blessings of family
+ WORSHIP LEADERS + Preacher/Celebrant/Liturgist – Pastor Scott Organist/Pianist – Seth Carruthers Lector – Jerry Nicolaus Communion – Mike Toney & Seminary Student Sound/Video – Paul Barbercheck Ushers – Sandy Barbercheck, Judy George, Jeanne Lipinski Greeters – Mike & Lisa Grossenheider | 
