In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and local recommendations, we are continuing to post our digital services for the time being for those who feel more comfortable worshiping at home. Socially-distanced in-person worship is now resuming each Sunday at 12pm. Please click the audio bar below to listen to today’s service. Scroll down to follow along with the service text.
Hymn “If Thou But Trust in God to Guide Thee” LSB # 750
1 If thou but trust in God to guide thee And hope in Him through all thy ways,
He'll give thee strength, whate'er betide thee, And bear thee through the evil days.
Who trusts in God's unchanging love Builds on the rock that naught can move.
2 What can these anxious cares avail thee, These never-ceasing moans and sighs?
What can it help if thou bewail thee O'er each dark moment as it flies?
Our cross and trials do but press The heavier for our bitterness.
3 Be patient and await His leisure In cheerful hope, with heart content
To take whate'er thy Father's pleasure And His discerning love hath sent,
Nor doubt our inmost wants are known To Him who chose us for His own.
4 God knows full well when times of gladness Shall be the needful thing for thee.
When He has tried thy soul with sadness And from all guile has found thee free,
He comes to thee all unaware And makes thee own His loving care.
5 Nor think amid the fiery trial That God hath cast thee off unheard,
That he whose hopes meet no denial Must surely be of God preferred.
Time passes and much change doth bring And sets a bound to ev'rything.
6 All are alike before the Highest; 'Tis easy to our God, we know,
To raise thee up, though low thou liest, To make the rich man poor and low.
True wonders still by Him are wrought Who setteth up and brings to naught.
7 Sing, pray, and keep His ways unswerving, Perform thy duties faithfully,
And trust His Word; though undeserving, Thou yet shalt find it true for thee.
God never yet forsook in need The soul that trusted Him indeed.
CONFESSION & ABSOLUTION
P: If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
C: But if we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:8-9)
We reflect on God’s Word and examine ourselves.
P: Let us then confess our sins to God our Father.
C: Most merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean. We have sinned against You in thought, word and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We justly deserve Your present and eternal punishment. For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.
P: Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of the Word, I announce the grace of God to you, and in the stead and by 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.
COLLECT FOR THE DAY
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. Grant strength and protection to support us in all dangers and carry us through all temptations; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C: Amen.
Scripture Readings
Old Testament Reading (Deuteronomy 18:15-20)
15 “The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen— 16 just as you desired of the LORD your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly, when you said, ‘Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God or see this great fire any more, lest I die.’ 17 And the LORD said to me, ‘They are right in what they have spoken. 18 I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. 19 And whoever will not listen to my words that he shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him. 20 But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die.’
P: This is the Word of the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
Epistle Reading (1 Corinthians 8:1-13)
1 Now concerning food offered to idols: we know that “all of us possess knowledge.” This “knowledge” puffs up, but love builds up. 2 If anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. 3 But if anyone loves God, he is known by God.
4 Therefore, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that “an idol has no real existence,” and that “there is no God but one.” 5 For although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth—as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”— 6 yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.
7 However, not all possess this knowledge. But some, through former association with idols, eat food as really offered to an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. 8 Food will not commend us to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do. 9 But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. 10 For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol's temple, will he not be encouraged, if his conscience is weak, to eat food offered to idols? 11 And so by your knowledge this weak person is destroyed, the brother for whom Christ died. 12 Thus, sinning against your brothers and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. 13 Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.
P: This is the Word of the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
Gospel Reading (Mark 1:21-28)
All: Alleluia. Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Alleluia, alleluia.
P: The holy Gospel according to St. Mark the 1st chapter.
C: Glory to You, O Lord.
21 And they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath he entered the synagogue and was teaching. 22 And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes. 23 And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, 24 “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God.” 25 But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” 26 And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying out with a loud voice, came out of him. 27 And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.” 28 And at once his fame spread everywhere throughout all the surrounding region of Galilee.
P: This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C: Praise to You, O Christ.
Hymn of the Day “O Christ, Our True and Only Light” LSB # 839
1 O Christ, our true and only light, Enlighten those who sit in night;
Let those afar now hear Your voice And in Your fold with us rejoice.
2 Fill with the radiance of Your grace The souls now lost in error's maze;
Enlighten those whose inmost minds Some dark delusion haunts and blinds.
3 O gently call those gone astray That they may find the saving way!
Let ev'ry conscience sore oppressed In you find peace and heav'nly rest.
4 Shine on the darkened and the cold; Recall the wand'rers to Your fold.
Unite all those who walk apart; Confirm the weak and doubting heart,
5 That they with us may evermore Such grace with wond'ring thanks adore
And endless praise to You be giv'n By all Your Church in earth and heav'n.
Sermon
CONFESSION OF FAITH: THE 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 men 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 worshipped 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.
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH
P: Lord, in you mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
THE 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
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 “Let Us Ever Walk with Jesus” LSB # 685
1 Let us ever walk with Jesus, follow his example pure,
Through a world that would deceive us And to sin our spirits lure.
Onward in his footsteps treading, Pilgrims here, our home above,
Full of faith and hope and love, Let us do our Savior's bidding.
Faithful Lord, with me abide; I shall follow where you guide.
2 Let us suffer here with Jesus, And with patience bear our cross.
Joy will follow all our sadness; Where he is there is no loss.
Though today we sow no laughter, We shall reap celestial joy:
All discomforts that annoy Shall give way to mirth hereafter.
Jesus, here I share your woe; Help me there your joy to know.
3 Let us gladly die with Jesus. Since by death he conquered death,
He will free us from destruction, Give to us immortal breath.
Let us mortify all passion That would lead us into sin;
And the grave that shuts us in Shall but prove the gate to heaven.
Jesus, here with you I die, there to live with you on high.
4 Let us also live with Jesus. He has risen from the dead
That to life we may awaken. Jesus, you are now our head,
We are your own living members; Where you live, there we shall be
In your presence constantly, Living there with you forever.
Jesus, let me faithful be; Life eternal grant to me.