The Lord's Service
† Alleluia! Christ is risen!
† He is risen indeed!
† Christ is ascended!
† That he might fill all things!
† The Spirit has been given!
† The promised Gift of gifts! Alleluia!
Amen!
Amen!
† ♪ Hymn 510 — Holy, Holy, Holy!
† I was glad when they said to me, "Let us go into the house of the Lord!"
† Our feet are standing within your gates, O Jerusalem!
† For you have come to Mount Zion!
† To the city of the living God!
† Let us pray.
† Invocation
† Lord God Almighty, your deeds are known among all the peoples and your name is high above the heavens. You have commanded us to gather before you this day in worship. We ask you, dear Lord, to come and be with your people. In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. ☩ Amen.
† Amen!
Exhortation — Romans 6:3
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Our help is in the name of the Lord!
Who made heaven and earth!
I said, I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.
And you forgave the iniquity of my sin.
Kneeling if able
⸛ Hear our prayer, O Lord;
⸛ You know our transgressions, O Lord, and our sins are ever before you. Against you only, O Lord, have we sinned, and done what is evil in your sight. We were brought forth in iniquity and in sin did our mothers conceive us. Create in us a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within us. Do not cast us away from your presence.
⸛ Therefore, let everyone who is godly offer prayer to God at a time when he may be found.
The congregation prays silently in personal confession
† Arise and hear the good news! Almighty God, our heavenly father, who in his great mercy through Jesus Christ our Lord, has promised forgiveness of sins to all those who sincerely repent, and with true faith turn to him, have mercy upon you, pardon and deliver you from all your sins, confirm and strengthen you in all goodness, and bring you to everlasting life; in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. ☩ Amen.
† Amen.
Now, as we have confessed our sins together, let us confess our faith with the generations. Christian, what do you believe?
We worship one God in trinity and the trinity in unity, neither blending their persons nor dividing their essence. For the person of the Father is a distinct person, the person of the Son is another, and that of the Holy Spirit still another. But the divinity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is one, their glory equal, their majesty coeternal.
What quality the Father has, the Son has, and the Holy Spirit has. The Father is uncreated, the Son is uncreated, the Holy Spirit is uncreated. The Father is immeasurable, the Son is immeasurable, the Holy Spirit is immeasurable. The Father is eternal, the Son is eternal, the Holy Spirit is eternal. And yet there are not three eternal beings; there is but one eternal being.
So too there are not three uncreated or immeasurable beings; there is but one uncreated and immeasurable being. Similarly, the Father is almighty, the Son is almighty, the Holy Spirit is almighty. Yet there are not three almighty beings; there is but one almighty being. Thus the Father is God, the Son is God, the Holy Spirit is God. Yet there are not three gods; there is but one God.
Thus the Father is Lord, the Son is Lord, the Holy Spirit is Lord. Yet there are not three lords; there is but one Lord. Just as Christian truth compels us to confess each person individually as both God and Lord, so catholic religion forbids us to say that there are three gods or lords.
The Father was neither made nor created nor begotten from anyone. The Son was neither made nor created; He was begotten from the Father alone. The Holy Spirit was neither made nor created nor begotten; He proceeds from the Father and the Son.
Accordingly there is one Father, not three fathers; there is one Son, not three sons; there is one Holy Spirit, not three holy spirits.
Nothing in this trinity is before or after, nothing is greater or smaller; in their entirety the three persons are coeternal and coequal with each other.
So in everything, as was said earlier, we must worship their trinity in their unity and their unity in their trinity.
Anyone then who desires to be saved should think thus about the trinity.
But it is necessary for eternal salvation that one also believe in the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ faithfully. Now this is the true faith: That we believe and confess that our Lord Jesus Christ, God's Son, is both God and human, equally.
He is God from the essence of the Father, begotten before time; and He is human from the essence of His mother, born in time; completely God, completely human, with a rational soul and human flesh; equal to the Father as regards divinity, less than the Father as regards humanity.
Although He is God and human, yet Christ is not two, but one. He is one, however, not by His divinity being turned into flesh, but by God's taking humanity to Himself. He is one, certainly not by the blending of His essence, but by the unity of His person. For just as one human is both rational soul and flesh, so too the one Christ is both God and human.
He suffered for our salvation; He descended to Hell; He arose from the dead; He ascended to Heaven; He is seated at the Father's right hand; from there He will come to judge the living and the dead. At His coming all people will arise bodily and give an accounting of their own deeds. Those who have done good will enter eternal life, and those who have done evil will enter eternal fire.
This is the catholic faith: without believing it firmly and faithfully one cannot be saved.
Amen.
67. Must you fear the coming day of judgment?
When Jesus comes again, his enemies – those who do not love and trust him – will be condemned to everlasting punishment in hell. But I do not fear judgment day; in fact, I confidently await that day because Jesus has already stood trial in my place and removed the curse from me. The faith-filled good works he has enabled me to do will prove I have a share in his blessed inheritance.
68. When was the Holy Spirit given to the first Christians?
On the day of Pentecost, the Father and the Son poured out the Holy Spirit – the promised Gift of gifts – and the new creation began to be revealed.
† The Word of the Lord
† Thanks be to God!
† ♪ Hymn 481 — Psalm 150 Alleluia (Lowe)
† The Word of the Lord
† Thanks be to God!
† This is the Gospel of our Lord Jesus.
† Praise be to you, O Christ, our King!
† ♪ Hymn 852 — All Authority and Power
Homily ☩ The Triune Name — Glenn Jones
† Taught by our Lord and trusting his promises, we are bold to pray:
† Lord God, you created the heavens and the earth using just your word. You protect and care for your children, as a merciful Father. Your Son has commanded us to call upon you, in his name, for all our needs. Hear us as we now offer these petitions:
† For your universal church, we pray that you would inspire her continually with the Spirit of Truth, Unity, and Concord; Grant that all those who do confess you as Lord and God may find refuge in the shield of faith found only in your Triune name.
† Lord, in your mercy...
† Hear our prayer
† For all Christian rulers, direct and dispose their hearts, that they may truly and impartially administer justice, to the punishment of wickedness and vice, and to the maintenance of your true religion, and virtue.
† Lord, in your mercy...
† Hear our prayer
† For all Church officers, we pray that they may, both by their life and doctrine, set forth your true and lively Word, and rightly and duly administer your holy Sacraments.
† Lord, in your mercy...
† Hear our prayer
† For our congregation, now present, give your heavenly grace, that with meek heart and due reverence, they would receive your word that has just been proclaimed with all faith and obedience, serving you in holiness and righteousness all the days of their life.
† Lord, in your mercy...
† Hear our prayer
† We lift up especially today, the Esasky and Eldred families. We give you praise for making them part of our local church family and we pray that this day will be a day they cherish and remember always, especially for Jase, Alec, and Anna who have been sealed with your Triune name and made partakers of your death and resurrection this day.
† Lord, in your mercy...
† Hear our prayer
† For your grace and mercy to be shown to all those who in times of trouble, are in need of comfort and support in this transitory life, due to sorrow, sickness, need, or any other adversity. We now pray silently for them by name… [pause]
† Lord, in your mercy...
† Hear our prayer
† Almighty God, you are reigning over all things from heaven. As you have graciously invited us, we have joyfully called upon you in all these things and we boldly bring these petitions before you in the name of your Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
† The Lord be with you!
† And also with you!
† Lift up your hearts!
† We lift them up to the Lord!
† Let us give thanks to the Lord our God!
† It is good and right to do so!
† 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, everlasting God:
Who with your only-begotten Son and the Holy Spirit are one God, one Lord. And in this confession, we worship you in Trinity of Persons and in Unity of Substance, of Majesty coequal.
† Therefore, with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify your glorious name, evermore praising you and singing:
The Lord's Supper
† Charge — Matthew 28:18-20
† And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit ☩, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."
† 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. In the name of the Father, ☩ and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
† Threefold Amen