Hymn “Today Your Mercy Calls Us” LSB # 915
1 Today Your mercy calls us To wash away our sin.
However great our trespass, Whatever we have been,
However long from mercy Our hearts have turned away,
Your precious blood can wash us And make us clean today.
2 Today Your gate is open, And all who enter in
Shall find a Father's welcome And pardon for their sin.
The past shall be forgotten, A present joy be giv'n,
A future grace be promised, A glorious crown in heav'n.
3 Today our Father calls us; The Holy Spirit waits;
His blessed angels gather Around the heav'nly gates.
No question will be asked us How often we have come;
Although we oft have wandered, It is our Father's home.
4 O all-embracing Mercy, O ever-open Door,
What should we do without You When heart and eye run o'er?
When all things seem against us, To drive us to despair,
We know one gate is open, One ear will hear our prayer.
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 “Father Welcomes” LSB # 605
1 Father welcomes all his children To His family Through His Son.
Father giving His salvation, Life eternal has been won.
Little children, come to Me, For My kingdom is of these.
Life and love I have to give, Mercy for your sin.
Father welcomes all his children To His family Through His Son.
Father giving His salvation, Life eternal has been won.
In the water, in the Word, In His promise, be assured:
Those who are baptized and believe Shall be born again.
Father welcomes all his children To His family Through His Son.
Father giving His salvation, Life eternal has been won.
Let us gladly die to sin; Let us daily rise with Him,
Walk in the love of Christ our Lord, Live in the peace of God.
Father welcomes all his children To His family Through His Son.
Father giving His salvation, Life eternal has been won.
(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.
This is the feast of victory for our God. Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!
Worthy is Christ, the Lamb who was slain, whose blood set us free to be people of God.
This is the feast of victory for our God. Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!
Power, riches, wisdom, and strength, and honor, blessing, and glory are his.
This is the feast of victory for our God. Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!
Sing with all the people of God and join in the hymn of all creation.
Blessing and honor and glory and might be to God and the Lamb forever. Amen.
This is the feast of victory for our God. Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!
For the Lamb who was slain has begun his reign. Alleluia.
This is the feast of victory for our God. Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!
P: The Lord be with you.
C: And also with you.
P: Let us pray. Blessed Lord, since You have caused all Holy Scriptures to be written for our leaning, grant that we may so hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C: Amen.
Scripture Readings
Old Testament Reading (Jeremiah 11:18-20)
18 The Lord made it known to me and I knew;
then you showed me their deeds.
19 But I was like a gentle lamb
led to the slaughter.
I did not know it was against me
they devised schemes, saying,
“Let us destroy the tree with its fruit,
let us cut him off from the land of the living,
that his name be remembered no more.”
20 But, O Lord of hosts, who judges righteously,
who tests the heart and the mind,
let me see your vengeance upon them,
for to you have I committed my cause.
P: This is the Word of the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
Epistle Reading (James 3:13-4:10)
13 Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. 15 This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. 17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. 18 And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
4 What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? 2 You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. 4 You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 5 Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? 6 But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.
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 9th chapter.
C: Glory to You, O Lord.
(Mark 9:30-37)
30 [The disciples] went on from there and passed through Galilee. And he did not want anyone to know, 31 for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And when he is killed, after three days he will rise.” 32 But they did not understand the saying, and were afraid to ask him.
33 And they came to Capernaum. And when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?” 34 But they kept silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. 35 And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” 36 And he took a child and put him in the midst of them, and taking him in his arms, he said to them, 37 “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me.”
P: This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C: Praise to You, O Christ.
Hymn “Lord of Glory, You Have Bought Us” LSB # 851
1 Lord of Glory, You have bought us With Your life-blood as the price,
Never grudging for the lost ones That tremendous sacrifice;
And with that have freely given Blessings countless as the sand
To the unthankful and the evil With Your own unsparing hand.
2 Grant us hearts, dear Lord, to give You Gladly, freely of Your own.
With the sunshine of Your goodness Melt our thankless hearts of stone
Till our cold and selfish natures, Warmed by You, at length believe
That more happy and more blessed 'Tis to give than to receive.
3 Wondrous honor You have given To our humblest charity
In Your own mysterious sentence, "You have done it all to Me."
Can it be, O gracious Master, That You deign for alms to sue,
Saying by Your poor and needy, "Give as I have giv'n to you"?
4 Lord of glory, You have bought us With Your life-blood as the price,
Never grudging for the lost ones That tremendous sacrifice.
Give us faith to trust You boldly, Hope, to stay our souls on You;
But, oh, best of all Your graces, With Your love our love renew.
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.
Closing Hymn “The Son of God Goes Forth to War” LSB #661
1 The Son of God goes forth to war A kingly crown to gain.
His blood-red banner streams afar; Who follows in His train?
Who best can drink His cup of woe, Triumphant over pain,
Who patient bears his cross below-- He follows in His train.
2 The martyr first, whose eagle eye Could pierce beyond the grave,
Who saw his Master in the sky And called on Him to save.
Like Him, with pardon on His tongue In midst of mortal pain,
He prayed for them that did the wrong-- Who follows in his train?
3 A glorious band, the chosen few, On whom the Spirit came,
Twelve valiant saints--their hope they knew And mocked the cross and flame.
They met the tyrant's brandished steel, The lion's gory mane;
They bowed their necks their death to feel-- Who follows in their train?
4 A noble army, men and boys, The matron and the maid,
Around the Savior's throne rejoice, In robes of light arrayed.
They climbed the steep ascent of heav'n Through peril, toil, and pain.
O God, to us may grace be giv'n To follow in their train!