Hymn “Awake, My Soul, and with the Sun” LSB # 868
1 Awake, my soul, and with the sun Thy daily stage of duty run;
Shake off dull sloth and joyful rise To pay thy morning sacrifice.
2 In conversation be sincere, Thy conscience as the noon-day clear;
Think how the all-seeing God thy ways And all thy secret thoughts surveys.
3 All praise to Thee, who safe hast kept And hast refreshed me while I slept;
Grant, Lord, when I from death shall wake, I may of endless light partake.
4 Lord, I my vows to Thee renew; Disperse my sins as morning dew;
Guard my first springs of thought and will And with Thyself my spirit fill.
5 Direct, control, suggest this day All I design or do or say
That all my pow'rs with all their might In Thy sole glory may unite.
6 Praise God, from whom all blessings flow; Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heav'nly host: Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
P: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
C: amen.
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 Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C: Amen.
Hymn “My Song Is Love Unknown” LSB # 430
1 My song is love unknown, My Savior’s love to me,
Love to the loveless shown That they might lovely be.
Oh, who am I That for my sake
My Lord should take Frail flesh and die?
2 He came from His blest throne Salvation to bestow;
But men made strange, and none The longed-for Christ would know.
But, oh, my friend, My Friend indeed,
Who at my need His life did spend!
3 Sometimes they strew His way And His sweet praises sing;
Resounding all the day Hosannas to their King.
Then “Crucify!” Is all their breath,
And for His death They thirst and cry.
4 Why, what hath my Lord done? What makes this rage and spite?
He made the lame to run, He gave the blind their sight.
Sweet injuries! Yet they at these
Themselves displease And 'gainst Him rise.
5 They rise and needs will have My dear Lord made away;
A murderer they save, The Prince of Life they slay.
Yet cheerful He To suff'ring goes
That He His foes From thence might free.
6 In life no house, no home My Lord on earth might have;
In death no friendly tomb But what a stranger gave.
What may I say? Heav'n was His home
But mine the tomb Wherein He lay.
7 Here might I stay and sing, No story so divine!
Never was love, dear King, Never was grief like Thine.
This is my friend, In whose sweet praise
I all my days Could gladly spend!
(Sung)
P: In peace let us pray to the Lord.
C: Lord, have mercy.
P: For the peace from above and for our salvation let us pray to the Lord.
C: Lord, have mercy.
P: For the peace of the whole world, for the well-being of the church of God, and for the unity of all, let us pray to the Lord
C: Lord, have mercy.
P: For this holy house and for all who offer here their worship and praise let us pray to the Lord.
C: Lord, have mercy.
P: Help, save, comfort, and defend us, gracious Lord.
C: Amen.
P: The Lord be with you.
C: And also with you.
P: O God, You see that of ourselves we have no strength. By Your mighty power defend us from all adversities that may happen to the body and from all evil thoughts that may assault and hurt the soul; 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 (Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16)
When Abram was ninety-nine years old the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless, 2 that I may make my covenant between me and you, and may multiply you greatly.” 3 Then Abram fell on his face. And God said to him, 4 “Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations. 5 No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations. 6 I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make you into nations, and kings shall come from you. 7 And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you… And God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. 16 I will bless her, and moreover, I will give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she shall become nations; kings of peoples shall come from her.”
P: This is the Word of the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
Epistle Reading (Romans 5:1-11)
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. 11 More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
P: This is the Word of the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
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 8th chapter.
C: Glory to You, O Lord.
(Mark 8:27-38)
And Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. And on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” 28 And they told him, “John the Baptist; and others say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.” 29 And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Christ.” 30 And he strictly charged them to tell no one about him.
31 And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. 32 And he said this plainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 33 But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”
34 And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it. 36 For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? 37 For what can a man give in return for his soul? 38 For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”
P: This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C: Praise to You, O Christ.
Hymn of the Day “Jesus, Thy Blood and Righteousness” LSB #563
1 Jesus, Thy blood and righteousness My beauty are, my glorious dress;
Midst flaming worlds, in these arrayed, With joy shall I lift up my head.
2 Bold shall I stand in that great day, Cleansed and redeemed, no debt to pay;
Fully absolved through these I am From sin and fear, from guilt and shame.
3 Lord, I believe Thy precious blood, Which at the mercy seat of God
Pleads for the captives' liberty, Was also shed in love for me.
4 Lord, I believe, were sinners more Than sands upon the ocean shore,
Thou hast for all a ransom paid, For all a full atonement made.
5 When from the dust of death I rise To claim my mansion in the skies,
This then shall be my only plea: Jesus hath lived and died for me.
6 Jesus, be endless praise to Thee, Whose boundless mercy hath for me,
For me, and all Thy hands have made, An everlasting ransom paid.
Sermon
Confession of Faith -- Nicene Creed
C: 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 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.
Prayer of the Church
P: Lord, in Your 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.
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.