| Greeting and Welcome
Lighting of the Candles
Hymn of Invocation – Holy, Holy, Holy (LSB 507)
Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty! Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee; Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty! God in three persons, blessèd Trinity!
Holy, holy, holy! All the saints adore Thee, Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea; Cherubim and seraphim falling down before Thee, Which wert and art and evermore shalt be.
Holy, holy, holy! Though the darkness hide Thee, Though the eye of sinful man Thy glory may not see, Only Thou art holy; there is none beside Thee, Perfect in pow’r, in love, and purity.
Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty! All Thy works shall praise Thy name in earth and sky and sea. Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty! God in three persons, blessèd Trinity!
+ Preparation +
Invocation P: In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. C: Amen.
Opening Sentences – Revelation 4:8b, 11 P: Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come! C: Worthy are You, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, P: for You created all things, C: and by Your will they existed and were created. Confession and Absolution P: Almighty God, we are called to confess You as the God who has no equal; C: You are three distinct persons, yet one God. P: You are holy, we are not; You are righteous, we are not. C: Yet in Your foreknowledge, You knew this would be our state, and You made a distinct and definite plan for a way to redeem us from our sins: the sins of thought, which creep into our minds daily; our words, which deserve death because of the evil that comes from our tongues; and our deeds, which we know go against Your holiness. Forgive us, Lord, for these and all sins, not because we are deserving, but for Your definite plan of mercy and grace shown to us at the cross. P: I ask you before God, who searches all hearts, and one another, is this your sincere confession? If so, answer yes. C: Yes, this is my sincere confession before God and before my brothers and sisters in Christ. P: Hear the good news on this day! God has forgiven you all your sins because of the blood of Jesus shed at the cross. In the stead and at the command of my Lord Jesus 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 for His mercy and grace! P: May God, who began this definite plan before He created the world, continue to work in you and bring it to completion on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. C: Thank You, Lord, for loving us, forgiving us, and having a definite plan for us.
+ Word +
Introit P: Blessèd be the Holy Trinity and the undivided Unity. C: Let us give glory to Him because He has shown His mercy to us. P: I have set the Lord always before me; C: because He is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken. P: Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; C: my flesh also dwells secure. P: For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol, C: or let Your holy one see corruption. P: You make known to me the path of life; C: in Your presence there is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
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: Blessèd be the Holy Trinity and the undivided Unity. C: Let us give glory to Him because He has shown His mercy to us.
Kyrie P: In peace let us pray to the Lord. C: Lord, have mercy. P: For the creation of this world, which has turned its back on You, C: Lord, have mercy. P: For the creation of all the wonders of this world, and having a purpose for all You have created, C: Lord, have mercy. P: For knowing us before You created us, C: Lord, have mercy. P: For redeeming us at the greatest cost to You, C: Lord, have mercy. P: For sending Your Holy Spirit into this world, and giving Him to us at our Baptism, C: Lord, have mercy. P: For using the Holy Spirit to make us Your own, C: Lord, have mercy. P: Continue to help, save, direct, comfort, and defend us. C: Lord, have mercy.
Salutation and Prayer of the Day P: The Lord be with you. C: And also with you. P: Let us pray. Almighty God, You are three persons yet one God. This is a mystery that is beyond our understanding. You ask us not to understand but simply believe. Give us the faith of a child, that what You have said in Your Word about Yourself we may believe in our hearts and live out by faith in our lives. We pray this in the name of Jesus, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, who was, who is, and who is coming, the Almighty. C: Amen.
First Reading – Isaiah 51:1–6 “Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness, you who seek the LORD: look to the rock from which you were hewn, and to the quarry from which you were dug. Look to Abraham your father and to Sarah who bore you; for he was but one when I called him, that I might bless him and multiply him. For the LORD comforts Zion; he comforts all her waste places and makes her wilderness like Eden, her desert like the garden of the LORD; joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the voice of song. “Give attention to me, my people, and give ear to me, my nation; for a law will go out from me, and I will set my justice for a light to the peoples. My righteousness draws near, my salvation has gone out, and my arms will judge the peoples; the coastlands hope for me, and for my arm they wait. Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look at the earth beneath; for the heavens vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment, and they who dwell in it will die in like manner; but my salvation will be forever, and my righteousness will never be dismayed.
P: This is the Word of the Lord. C: Thanks be to God.
Epistle – Romans 12:1–8 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.
P: This is the Word of the Lord. C: Thanks be to God.
Holy Gospel – Matthew 16:13-20 P: The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the sixteenth chapter. C: Glory to You, O Lord.
Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.
P: This is the Gospel of the Lord. C: Praise to You, O Christ.
Nicene Creed 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 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.
Children’s Hymn – Father, I Adore You (AGPS 94)
Father, I adore You. Lay my life before You. How I love You.
Jesus, I adore You. Lay my life before You. How I love You.
Spirit, I adore You. Lay my life before You. How I Love You.
Children’s Sermon – Tim Cosby
Hymn of the Day – Up through Endless Ranks of Angels (LSB 491)
Up through endless ranks of angels, Cries of triumph in His ears, To His heav’nly throne ascending, Having vanquished all their fears, Christ looks down upon His faithful, Leaving them in happy tears.
Death-destroying, life-restoring, Proven equal to our need, Now for us before the Father As our brother intercede; Flesh that for our world was wounded, Living, for the wounded plead!
To our lives of wanton wand’ring Send Your Spirit, promised guide; Through our lives of fear and failure With Your pow’r and love abide; Welcome us, as You were welcomed, To an endless Eastertide.
Alleluia, alleluia! Oh, to breathe the Spirit’s grace! Alleluia, alleluia! Oh, to see the Father’s face! Alleluia, alleluia! Oh, to feel the Son’s embrace!
Sermon
Offering
Offertory
Prayers
+ Celebrating birthdays this week: 29 – Sophia Grossenheider, Mimi Schaefer; 30 – Debbie Jacobson, Joe Lauber; 1 – Jules Bush + Wedding anniversaries: 29 – Vicki Devenport & Ed Nelson; 30 – Steve & Phyllis Phelps
Special Celebrations and Needs: + Church family members: Paul Schultz, upon his cancer diagnosis; Sherman Moore, recovering from surgery; Janet Hurley, upon the return of her cancer; Sharon Gaal, recovering from surgery; Vicki Lucas, recovering from a stroke; Ken Kight. + Friends of our congregation: Barbara Huggins, in rehab with a broken leg; Eddie, brother-in-law of Andrea Anderson, fighting lymphoma of the uvula; Rebecca Guion, daughter-in-law of Mary Guion. + Those who are homebound or in nursing facilities: Twylah Atwood, Mary Aufderheide, Jules Bush, Frank & Sharon Gaal, Mary Guion, Jerry & Jane Keathley, Cindy Smith, Shirley Williams
Prayer of the Church P: Let us pray for the whole people of God in Christ Jesus and all people according to their needs. Lord, in Your mercy, C: hear our prayer. P: Heavenly Father, we thank and praise You for planning and creating this world for us to inhabit. You have given us the stewardship of it. Where we have failed, forgive us. Give us wisdom to manage what You planned for us. Lord, in Your mercy, C: hear our prayer. P: Lord Jesus Christ, You cared for us with no guarantee we would ever love You back. You lived the perfect life we could not and suffered the death we are not willing to suffer for our sins. We can never repay You—all we can do is thank You, and so we do now. Lord, in Your mercy, C: hear our prayer. P: O Holy Spirit, through Your inspiration we have the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make us wise unto salvation in Jesus Christ. Yet without the faith freely given by You, we would not be able to believe. You keep us in that faith our entire journey on this side of eternity. We ask that You would rule our hearts and minds, and bring to our remembrance what the Scriptures say at just the right time. Lord, in Your mercy, C: hear our prayer. P: We lift up those facing health challenges at this moment. Hear our petitions on their behalf. We ask that You use doctors and nurses, medicines and researchers, and, according to Your will, miracles, so those who have any dreaded disease might be returned to health to serve You. Heavenly Physician, we entrust them to Your care and will. Lord, in Your mercy, C: hear our prayer. P: We remember also the homebound members of our congregation. Give them a special measure of Your presence and peace this hour. Remind them You are with them always. Lord, in Your mercy, C: hear our prayer. P: Lord, You have commanded us to pray for all in authority. We pray for the leaders of all nations, that they seek justice and peace. We lift up leaders everywhere. Help them by Your Spirit to lead with diligence. Lord, in Your mercy, C: hear our prayer. P: For Christians persecuted around the world and who feel the heavy hand of injustice, we ask that You keep Your people faithful and protect all who need Your protection. Lord, in Your mercy, C: hear our prayer. P: Into Your gracious and loving hands we commend all for whom we pray and those You know need our prayers, trusting in Your mercy; in the name of Jesus, with the Father and Holy Spirit, one God, who was, who is, and who is coming, the Almighty. C: Amen.
+ 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 good, right, and proper, almighty God, that we should give You thanks and praise for planning our salvation before we even knew of the need for it. We give You thanks for the ultimate sacrifice You made on our behalf by sending Your Son to the cross, in order that we might become blood-bought sons and daughters of the King. Therefore with angels and archangels and the entire host of heaven, we lift up Your name in song as we sing:
Sanctus Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of pow'r and might: Heaven and earth are full of Your glory. Hosanna, Hosanna. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest. Prayer of Thanksgiving P: Almighty God, You made heaven and earth, and all therein. You foresaw our need for redemption and sent Your Son, Jesus Christ, into this world to ransom us from sin, death, and the devil himself. We gather here, remembering what Jesus did at the cross and by His resurrection. You left nothing to chance but planned the only way for us to be redeemed. As we come to Your Table, help us come with repentant hearts. Give us what we need the most, namely the forgiveness of our sins. On the day when the last trumpet blows, grant that we be gathered together with all Your faithful who have preceded us to be a part of Your kingdom, which will abide forever. This we pray in the name of Jesus, with the Father and the Son, one God, one Lord, forever and ever. C: 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.”
Proclamation of Christ P: As often as we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes. C: Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. P: O Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, in giving us Your body and blood to eat and to drink, You lead us to remember and confess Your holy cross and passion, Your blessed death, Your rest in the tomb, Your resurrection from the dead, Your ascension into heaven, and Your coming for the final judgment. So remember us in Your kingdom and teach us to pray:
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.
Pax Domini P: The peace of the Lord be with you always. C: Amen.
Distribution
Distribution Hymn – On Eagles’ Wings (LSB 727)
You who dwell in the shelter of the Lord, Who abide in His shadow for life, Say to the Lord: “My refuge, My rock in whom I trust!” Refrain
Refrain: And He will raise you up on eagles’ wings, Bear you on the breath of dawn, Make you to shine like the sun, And hold you in the palm of His hand.
The snare of the fowler will never capture you, And famine will bring you no fear; Under His wings your refuge, His faithfulness your shield. Refrain
You need not fear the terror of the night, Nor the arrow that flies by day; Though thousands fall about you, Near you it shall not come. Refrain
For to His angels He’s given a command To guard you in all of your ways; Upon their hands they will bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone. Refrain
Blessing
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 in 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.
Benediction 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 – God Bless Our Native Land (LSB 965)
God bless our native land; Firm may she ever stand Through storm and night. When the wild tempests rave, Ruler of wind and wave, Do Thou our country save By Thy great might.
So shall our prayers arise To God above the skies; On Him we wait. Thou who art ever nigh, Guarding with watchful eye, To Thee aloud we cry: God save the state!
Postlude
+ WORSHIP LEADERS + Preacher/Celebrant/Liturgist – Rev. Steve Miller Organist/Pianist – Seth Carruthers Lector – Lisa Grossenheider Communion – Mike Toney & Seminary Student Sound/Video – Terry Young Ushers – Gerry Lucas, Tony Petzoldt, Lisa Grossenheider, Judy George Greeters – Terry & Marilyn Young
Altar flowers this morning are given by Steve & Phyllis Phelps In celebration of their 60th Wedding Anniversary | 
