Hymn “Blessed Jesus, at Your Word” LSB # 904
1 Blessed Jesus, at Your Word We are gathered all to hear You.
Let our hearts and souls be stirred Now to seek and love and fear You,
By Your teachings, sweet and holy, Drawn from earth to love You solely.
2 All our knowledge, sense, and sight Lie in deepest darkness shrouded
Till Your Spirit breaks our night With the beams of truth unclouded.
You alone to God can win us; You must work all good within us.
3 Gracious Savior, good and kind, Light of Light, from God proceeding,
Open now our heart and mind; Help us by Your Spirit’s pleading.
Hear the cry Your Church now raises; Hear and bless our prayers and praises.
4 Father, Son, and Spirit, Lord, Praise to You and adoration!
Grant that we may trust Your Word, Confident of our salvation,
While we here below must wander, Till we sing Your praises yonder.
P: In the name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
C: Amen.
P: Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness. Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C: who made heaven and earth.
P: I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C: and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
(We reflect on God’s Word and examine ourselves)
P: O almighty God, merciful Father,
C: I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You, and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P: Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of 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.
The Introit is read…
(Sung)
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.
Amen.
The Antiphon is read…
(Sung)
Lord, have mercy upon us. Christ have mercy upon us. Lord, have mercy upon us.
(Glory be to God on high)
…and on earth peace, goodwill toward men. We praise Thee, we bless Thee, we worship Thee, we glorify Thee, we give thanks to Thee for Thy great glory. O Lord God, heav’nly King, God the Father Almighty. O Lord, the only begotten Son, Jesus Christ; O Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father, that takest away the sin of the world, receive our prayer. Thou that sittest at the right hand of God the Father, have mercy upon us. For Thou only art holy; Thou only art the Lord. Thou only, O Christ, with the Holy Ghost, art most high in the glory of God the Father. Amen.
P: The Lord be with you.
C: And also with you.
P: Let us pray.
Collect of the Day:
P: O Lord, You granted Your prophets strength to resist the temptations of the devil and courage to proclaim repentance. Give us pure hearts and minds to follow Your Son faithfully even into suffering and death; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C: Amen.
Hymn “By All Your Saints in Warfare” LSB # 518 vv. 1, 24, 3
1 By all Your saints in warfare, for all Your saints at rest,
Your holy name, O Jesus, forevermore be blest!
For You have won the battle that they might wear the crown;
And now they shine in glory reflected from Your throne.
24 Our thanks for John the Baptist who, till his dying day,
Made straight paths for the Savior and heralded His way!
In witnessing to Jesus through times of threat or shame
May we with faith and courage the Lamb of God proclaim.
3 Then let us praise the Father and worship God the Son
And sing to God the Spirit, Eternal Three in One,
Till al the ransomed number fall down before the throne,
Ascribing pow’r and glory and praise to God alone.
Scripture Readings
Old Testament Reading (Amos 7:7-15)
his is what he showed me: behold, the Lord was standing beside a wall built with a plumb line, with a plumb line in his hand. 8 And the Lord said to me, “Amos, what do you see?” And I said, “A plumb line.” Then the Lord said,
“Behold, I am setting a plumb line
in the midst of my people Israel;
I will never again pass by them;
9 the high places of Isaac shall be made desolate,
and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste,
and I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword.”
Amos Accused
10 Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, “Amos has conspired against you in the midst of the house of Israel. The land is not able to bear all his words. 11 For thus Amos has said,
“‘Jeroboam shall die by the sword,
and Israel must go into exile
away from his land.’”
12 And Amaziah said to Amos, “O seer, go, flee away to the land of Judah, and eat bread there, and prophesy there, 13 but never again prophesy at Bethel, for it is the king's sanctuary, and it is a temple of the kingdom.”
14 Then Amos answered and said to Amaziah, “I was no prophet, nor a prophet's son, but I was a herdsman and a dresser of sycamore figs. 15 But the Lord took me from following the flock, and the Lord said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’
P: This is the Word of the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
Second Reading (Ephesians 1:3-14)
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 9 making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.
11 In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, 12 so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. 13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.
P: This is the Word of the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
P: The holy Gospel according to St. Mark, the 6th chapters.
C: (sung) Glory be to Thee, O Lord.
(Mark 6:14-29)
King Herod heard of it, for Jesus' name had become known. Some said, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead. That is why these miraculous powers are at work in him.” 15 But others said, “He is Elijah.” And others said, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.” 16 But when Herod heard of it, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.” 17 For it was Herod who had sent and seized John and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, because he had married her. 18 For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife.” 19 And Herodias had a grudge against him and wanted to put him to death. But she could not, 20 for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed, and yet he heard him gladly.
21 But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his nobles and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee. 22 For when Herodias's daughter came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests. And the king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it to you.” 23 And he vowed to her, “Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half of my kingdom.” 24 And she went out and said to her mother, “For what should I ask?” And she said, “The head of John the Baptist.” 25 And she came in immediately with haste to the king and asked, saying, “I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.” 26 And the king was exceedingly sorry, but because of his oaths and his guests he did not want to break his word to her. 27 And immediately the king sent an executioner with orders to bring John's head. He went and beheaded him in the prison 28 and brought his head on a platter and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother. 29 When his disciples heard of it, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.
P: This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C: (sung) Praise be to Thee, O Christ.
Confession of Faith -- Apostles’ Creed
C: 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.
Hymn “Hail, Thou Once Despised Jesus” LSB # 531
1 Hail, Thou once despised Jesus! Hail, Thou Galilean King!
Thou didst suffer to release us; Thou didst free salvation bring.
Hail, Thou universal Savior, Bearer of our sin and shame!
By Thy merit we find favor; Life is given through Thy name.
2 Paschal Lamb, by God appointed, All our sins on Thee were laid;
By almighty love anointed, Thou hast full atonement made.
All Thy people are forgiven Through the virtue of Thy blood;
Opened is the gate of heaven, Reconciled are we with God.
3 Jesus, hail! Enthroned in glory, There forever to abide;
All the heav'nly host adore Thee, Seated at Thy Father's side.
There for sinners Thou art pleading; There Thou dost our place prepare,
Ever for us interceding Till in glory we appear.
4 Worship, honor, pow'r, and blessing Thou art worthy to receive;
Highest praises, without ceasing, Right it is for us to give.
Help, ye bright angelic spirits, All your noblest anthems raise;
Help to sing our Savior's merits, Help to chant Immanuel's praise!
Sermon
Prayer of the Church
P: Lord, in your mercy,
C: Receive 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
P: The Lord be with you.
C: And with thy spirit.
P: Bless we the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
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.