The Second Sunday in Lent
also known as Reminiscere Sunday (Latin for “Remember!”)
March 01, 2026
Faith That Amazed Even Jesus
During the 1930s, a large number of men were holding the ropes to a dirigible (an airship similar to a blimp) to keep it from floating away. Suddenly a gust of wind caught one end of the dirigible, lifting it high off the ground, taking some of those man with it.
Some of the men immediately let go of their ropes and fell safely to the ground. Others panicked, clinging firmly to the end of their ropes as the nose of the dirigible arose to greater heights. Several of those men who couldn’t keep holding on fell and were seriously injured. One man, however, continued to dangle high in the air for forty-five minutes until he was rescued. Amazed and curious, reporters later asked him how he was able to hold on to the rope for so long.
“I didn’t hold on to the rope,” he replied. “I just tied it around my waist, and the rope held on to me.” In times of crisis….as well as all other times in life, instead of trying to hold on to God, why not let God hold on to you?
For the very reason that our faith might be strengthened today, as we meditate on the Word of our Lord this morning, we pray that the Holy Spirit will fortify the faith of all our fellow worshipers so that – regardless of what we face in life – we will remain continually confident that our Lord’s intentions for us will always be carried out in the way that is best for both our earthly and eternal interests.
“Reminiscere” Sunday and the Season of Lent
Across better than 16 centuries, the Christian Church has used the 40 day/roughly six week period of Lent as a time during which its members are to contemplate, in an even more subdued than usual fashion, the spiritual significance of our Savior’s sufferings for our salvation. The “tone” of Lent has traditionally been a very penitential one focusing on the seriousness and significance of our sins, our need to personally repent of those sins, and the undeserved mercy of God in Christ through which He has forgiven us all our sins.
However, these “solemn” 40 days of Lent (which begin with Ash Wednesday on February 18th, and which will continue through “Holy Saturday,” April 4th) technically do not include the six Sundays in Lent. The worship services on those Sundays – as is the case for us this morning – are used as minor “respites” from the heavy repentance-emphasis of the 40 day Lenten season. While there remains a “penitential” character associated even with the Sundays in Lent, we nevertheless want to gratefully focus our hearts and minds on selected portions of Scripture that point out to us the victories which our Savior has won for us over sin, death, sickness, difficulties, sorrow and the Devil himself. Those victories which Christ has won and continues to win for us (we’ll see an example of those victories in both our Old Testament and Gospel Lessons, as well as our Sermon text this morning) should move us to confidently and gratefully put our faith in our LORD for all our needs of body and soul….confident that Jesus will never ever let us down.
Incidentally, the Sundays during Lent have been identified for many centuries by Latin names which have been taken from the first words (in Latin) of the Psalms traditionally appointed to be read in worship on those days. This Second Sunday in Lent, then, is known as “Reminiscere Sunday,” taken from verse 6 of Psalm 25 (“Reminiscere” means “Remember” — it’s underlined in today’s reading).
Today’s Scripture Lessons
In this morning’s Old Testament Lesson we look in on the “second installment” of Job’s sufferings. Previously, in chapter 1, his possessions and children had all been suddenly taken from him; yet Job praised God even in his losses. Here in chapter 2, the Devil’s attacking of Job, and the Lord’s testing/proving of Job’s great faith involves depriving him of his health through terrible sores inflicted on his body. Still, Job refused to blame or curse God, but instead he continues to praise Him and relied on his faith that told Him God knew best how to deal with him. What Job believed about God….we should always believe too.
Our Epistle Lesson is James’ exhortation to persevere in our faith when experiencing the trials and temptations of life. He urges us never to doubt or waver in our faith, but to always be confident of God’s mercy for us in Christ and His willingness to do whatever is best for us.
In this morning’s service, which is centered around today’s Gospel Lesson, Jesus goes into Gentile territory with His ministry. There He encounters a Canaanite woman who expresses her faith in Him as the One Who can defeat Satan’s power over her demon-possessed daughter. That woman’s faith was so persistent and exemplary that the Savior publicly commended her for the depth of her trust in Him, pointing out to His disciples (and to us, through His written Word) how great her faith in Him was.
Faith is also at the center of our Children’s Lesson for today, where we’ll talk about the difference between living life only “by fact/sight” versus living each day “by faith/trust” in the Lord. Talking about the importance of having “blind faith,” we’ll use the unusual and amazing example of blind downhill skiers, who have to (and who do) trust totally in their guides (who ski alongside them, calling out turning instructions to them all the way down the hill) until those guides successfully lead them through their race course to safety at the end of their ski run.
Finally, the message of our Sermon for today is based on the account of Jesus’ miraculously healing – from a distance – the servant of the Roman Centurion of Capernaum. While this miracle displays Christ’s divine power (and so is hardly an “afterthought”), our attention this morning will be drawn particularly to the impressive faith of that Centurion, which amazed even Jesus, and the various characteristics of his faith in Christ. We’ll see a man who cared about others, who knew by faith the true God, and who humbly approached Jesus with his prayer request – confident both in the Savior’s ability and willingness to hear his prayer and restore his dying servant to good health.
Pre-Service Prayer
The day has dawned and duty calls, so many tasks await.
Lord, strengthen me when my spirit fails, or when I hesitate —
to do the things I ought to do….to shun each sinful way.
Jesus, forgive the wrongs I’ll do, and keep me safe today. Amen.
The portions of God’s Word used in this worship flyer have been taken from The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version Copyright 2019, The Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission Music and lyrics, as needed, are used with permission via OneLicense.net #A712831
Pre-service Prayer Pre-service Music
Let Us Praise The Lord
The Introduction and Invitation to worship
After which, at the Pastor’s invitation, the Congregation will rise for
The Invocation
We make our beginning
In the name of the Father
Who created and preserves this world and every one of us,
and Who gave His Son into death for us
and raised Him in glory on the third day;
And of the Son,
Who became fully human in order to be our Savior-Substitute,
Who laid down His life only to take it up again on the third day,
Who rules over all things from heaven for the good of His Church,
and Who will return in glory on the Last Day to deliver that Church;;
And of the Holy Spirit
through Whom Christ was made alive,
Who has worked and sustains saving faith in our hearts,
Who lives in us now through the Word,
and Who will one day give life to our mortal bodies.
Amen.
The Psalm for Today Psalm 25, selected verses
P: Remember, O LORD, Your compassion and Your mercy, for they are from eternity.
C: Do not Remember the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways. + According to Your mercy remember me, + because of Your goodness, O LORD.
P: To You, O LORD, I will lift up my soul; in You I have trusted O my God.
C: All who hope in You will ever be put to shame.
P: Make known to me Your ways, O LORD. Teach me Your paths.
C: Make me walk in Your truth and teach me, + because You are the God Who saves me. + In You I hope all day long.
P: Good and upright is the Lord. Therefore He instructs sinners in the right way.
C: He directs the humble to what is just + and He teaches the humble His way.
P: For the sake of Your name, O LORD, You forgive my guilt, although it is great.
C: Turn toward me and be gracious to me, + because I am lonely and afflicted.
P: The distress of my heart increases. Bring me out of my anguish.
C: See my affliction and my trouble, + and take away all my sins.
P: Guard my life and rescue me. Do not let me be put to shame, for I have taken refuge in You.
C: May integrity and uprightness protect me; + because I wait for You.
After which the Congregation will be seated for
The Opening Hymn Hymn 256 “How Great Thou Art”
1 O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder
Consider all the works thy hand hath made,
I see the stars, I hear the mighty thunder,
Thy pow’r throughout the universe displayed.
Refrain:
Then sings my soul, my Savior-God, to thee,
“How great thou art! How great thou art!”
Then sings my soul, my Savior-God to thee,
“How great thou art! How great thou art!”
2 When through the woods and forest glades I wander,
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees;
When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur
And hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze, [Refrain]
3 And when I think that God, his Son not sparing,
Sent him to die, I scarce can take it in,
That on the cross my burden gladly bearing
He bled and died to take away my sin. [Refrain]
4 When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart!
Then I shall bow in humble adoration
And there proclaim: “My God, how great thou art!” [Refrain]
After which the Congregation will rise as
We Make Confession of Our Sins To God
Pastor – Now, let us join in confessing our sins to God our Father.
Congregation – Almighty Lord God, we have come together to stand in Your presence, + to hear Your Word, and to worship You.
Pastor – But who may appear in Your presence, Heavenly Father, and who may call on You for help?
Congregation – He who has clean hands and a pure heart; + He shall receive blessings from the Lord.
Pastor – O holy and righteous God, You alone can make us clean. We have rebelled against You and become worthless. But Your mercies never end; they are new every day. At Your command and promise, therefore, we come to You and confess our sins.
Congregation Miserable person that I am, + I confess and lament to You, O most holy God, + that I am a weak and sinful creature, + guilty of every sin, of unbelief, and of blasphemy. + I also confess that Your Word has not brought forth good fruit in me. + I hear it, but do not receive it earnestly. + I do not show works of love toward my neighbor. + I am full of anger, hate, and envy. + I am impatient, greedy, and bent on every evil. + Therefore my heart and conscience are heavy. + Lord, I ask You, free me from my sins, + strengthen my faith, + and comfort my weak conscience by Your divine Word, + that I may obtain Your promised grace
Pastor – Having faithfully confessed your sins, now hear Your heavenly Father’s promise of forgiveness to you. Jesus explained God’s will and promise as clearly as possible in John 6:40 when He said, “For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life, and I will raise Him up at the last day.” And now, carrying out my office as a called servant of the Living Word, I proclaim the grace and mercy of God to all of you, and according to the command of my Lord Jesus Christ, and in His place, I forgive you all your sins, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Peace be with you. Amen.
We Respond in Faith “Our Heav’nly Father, Gracious Lord”
To the tune of “Almighty Father, Strong to Save;” by cwh, 1999
Our Heav’nly Father, gracious Lord, Who by the power of Your Word
Created and sustains each thing, and all that live.
Your praise we sing….
Our Father, Who in mercy still, Guides everything by Your sure will.
We praise You, Christ, God’s only Son,
by Whom salvation has been won.
For us You lived, and for us died, that we might all be justified,
Raised from the dead, on high to reign.
We know that You will come again.
We worship, You, O Spirit sent, active in Word and Sacrament.
You bind the Church, below, above, in faith in Christ’s redeeming love.
Sustain this faith, our whole lives through,
and day by day our hearts renew! Amen.
The Prayer for the Morning
O Lord God, + You know that we have no strength + to withstand the assaults against our souls + that come from Satan, this wicked world, and our own sinful flesh. + Therefore we pray that You would graciously use Your mighty power + to safeguard us outwardly + from every adversity that could physically harm us + and to protect us inwardly + from everything and everyone that would harm our faith + and jeopardize our eternal inheritance in heaven. + Please build up our souls + and so, our increase our faith this morning + and every day as we meditate upon Your Holy Word + so that we will be enabled to resist temptation, + to serve You faithfully + and to bring honor and glory to Your Holy Name. + We ask for all of this in the name of Jesus Christ, + Your Son, our Lord, + Who lives and rules with You and the Holy Spirit, + as the one true God, + now and forever. + Amen.
After that the Congregation may be seated as
We Give Our Attention to God’s Word
The Old Testament Lesson Job 2:1-10
Another day arrived when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came into their midst. 2 The Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?”
Satan answered the Lord, “From roaming the earth and walking around on it.”
3 Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job? There is no one like him on the earth, a man who is blameless and upright, who fears God and turns away from evil. And he still maintains his integrity, even though you incited me against him to destroy him for no reason.”
4 Satan answered the Lord, “Skin for skin! A man will give all he has for his life. 5 But stretch out your hand and strike his bones and flesh, and he will certainly curse You to Your face!”
6 The Lord said to Satan, “Very well, then, he is in your hand, but preserve his life.”
7 Satan then went out from the presence of the Lord. He struck Job with very painful sores from the sole of his foot to the top of his head. 8 So Job took a piece of broken pottery to scrape himself as he was sitting among the ashes.
9 Then his wife said to him, “Are you still maintaining your integrity? Curse God and die!”
10 But he said to her, “You are talking like a woman who lacks moral judgment. If we accept the good that comes from God, shouldn’t we also accept the bad?” In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.
The Epistle Lesson James 1:2-12
2 For example, suppose a man enters your worship assembly wearing gold rings and fine clothing, and a poor man also enters wearing filthy clothing. 3 If you look with favor on the man wearing fine clothing and say, “Sit here in this good place,” but you tell the poor man, “Stand over there” or “Sit down here at my feet,” 4 have you not made a distinction among yourselves and become judges with evil opinions? 5 Listen, my dear brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and to be heirs of the kingdom, which He promised to those who love Him? 6 But you dishonored the poor man. Don’t the rich oppress you, and don’t they drag you into court? 7 Aren’t they the ones who blaspheme the noble name that was pronounced over you? 8 However, if you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. 9 But if you show favoritism, you are committing a sin, since you are convicted by this law as transgressors.
10 In fact, whoever keeps the whole law but stumbles in one point has become guilty of breaking all of it. 11 For the one who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not commit murder.” Now if you do not commit adultery, but you do commit murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. 12 So speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law of freedom.
Following which, the Congregation will rise for
Today’s Gospel Lesson Matthew 15:21-28
21 Jesus left that place and withdrew into the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22 There a Canaanite woman from that territory came and kept crying out, “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David! A demon is severely tormenting my daughter!”
23 But He did not answer her a word.
His disciples came and pleaded, “Send her away, because she keeps crying out after us.”
24 He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
25 But she came and knelt in front of him, saying, “Lord, help me.”
26 He answered her, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to their little dogs.”
27 “Yes, Lord,” she said, “yet their little dogs also eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.”
28 Then Jesus answered her, “Woman, your faith is great! It will be done for you, just as you desire.” And her daughter was healed at that very hour.
The Apostles’ Creed
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 Ghost; Born of the Virgin Mary; Suffered under Pontius Pilate; Was crucified, dead and buried; He descended into hell; The third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven And sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; From thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost; The Holy Christian Church, the Communion of Saints; The forgiveness of sins; The resurrection of the body; And the life everlasting. Amen.
After which the Congregation will be seated for
The Children’s Lesson Isaiah 42:16 and II Corinthians 5:7
I will lead the blind on a way they do not know.
Along paths they do not know I will direct them.
Ahead of them I will turn darkness into light
and rough places into level ground.
These are the things I will accomplish for them.
I will not abandon them.
…… 7 for we walk by faith, not by sight.
BLIND FAITH
The Sermon Hymn Hymn 403 “I Know My Faith Is Founded”
1 I know my faith is founded On Jesus Christ, my God and Lord;
And this my faith confessing, Unmoved I stand upon his Word.
Man’s reason cannot fathom The truth of God profound;
Who trusts in worldly wisdom Relies on shifting ground.
God’s Word is all-sufficient, It makes divinely sure,
And, trusting in its wisdom, My faith shall rest secure.
2 Increase my faith, dear Savior, For Satan seeks by night and day
To rob me of this treasure And take my hope of bliss away.
But, Lord, with you beside me I shall be undismayed;
And led by your good Spirit, I shall be unafraid.
Abide with me, O Savior, A firmer faith bestow.
Then I shall bid defiance To ev’ry evil foe.
3 In faith, Lord, let me serve you; Though persecution, grief, and pain
Should seek to overwhelm me, Let me a steadfast trust retain.
And then at my departure, Lord, take me home to you,
And let me there inherit All you have promised me.
In life and death, Lord, keep me Until your heav’n I gain,
Where I by your great mercy The end of faith attain.
The Greeting
Grace and peace be yours in abundance, through the knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ, our Lord. May the God of peace fill you with all joy in believing! Amen.
Our Sermon Text Luke 7:1-10
After Jesus had finished saying all these things to the people who were listening, He went into Capernaum. 2 A centurion’s servant, who was valuable to him, was sick and about to die. 3 When the centurion heard about Jesus, he sent some elders of the Jews to Him, asking Him to come and heal his servant. 4 When they came to Jesus, they begged Him earnestly, saying, “He is worthy of having You do this for him, 5 because he loves our nation, and he built our synagogue for us.”
6 Jesus went with them. When He was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to tell Jesus, “Lord, do not trouble Yourself, because I do not deserve to have You come under my roof. 7 That is why I did not consider myself worthy to come to You. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. 8 For I am also a man placed under authority, having soldiers under me. I say to this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes; and to another one, ‘Come!’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
9 When Jesus heard these things, He was amazed at him. He turned to the crowd that was following Him and said, “I tell you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel.” 10 And when the men who had been sent returned to the house, they found the servant well.
What Makes A Faith Amazing?
following which the Congregation will REMAIN SEATED for
The Post-Sermon Blessing
May the God of peace, Who brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ, that Great Shepherd of the sheep, now equip you with everything good for doing His will! Amen.
The Offering Hymn Hymn 405 “Oh, For a Faith That Will Not Shrink”
1 Oh, for a faith that will not shrink Though pressed by many a foe,
That will not tremble on the brink Of poverty or woe,
2 That will not murmur nor complain Beneath the chast’ning rod,
But in the hour of grief or pain Can lean upon its God,
3 A faith that shines more bright and clear When tempests rage without,
That, when in danger, knows no fear, In darkness feels no doubt,
4 That bears unmoved the world’s dread frown Nor heeds its scornful smile,
That sin’s wild ocean cannot drown Nor Satan’s arts beguile,
5 A faith that keeps the narrow way Till life’s last spark is fled
And with a pure and heav’nly ray Lights up the dying bed.
6 Lord, give us such a faith as this, And then, whate’er may come,
We’ll taste e’en now the hallowed bliss Of an eternal home.
We Offer Our Gifts to the Lord
We offer you the following suggestions for providing God with Your thank-offerings through our ministry:
1) Those in the chapel can place their offerings in the offering plates
2) You can send a check (no cash) in the mail to Grace Lutheran Church (415 N. 6th Place, Lowell, AR 72745)
3) Or, go online to our website (www.gracelutherannwa.com) and use the giving option there
The Offerings are gathered and presented to our Lord
as the offerings are brought forward the Congregation will rise
Lord, Receive our Prayers
The Prayer for Today
Included in our Prayers this morning:
A Prayer of Thanksgiving for Karen and Kent Swogger
who will be celebrating their wedding anniversary tomorrow.
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.
We Celebrate the Lord’s Supper
Pastor – The Lord be with you.
Congregation (sung) And also with you
Pastor – Lift up your hearts.
Congregation (sung) We lift them up unto the Lord,
Pastor – Let us give thanks unto the Lord, our God.
Congregation (sung) It is good and right so to do.
Pastor – It is truly good and right that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, O Lord, holy Father, almighty, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ our Lord, Who brought the gift of salvation to all people by His death on the tree of the cross, so that the devil, who overcame us by a tree, would in turn by a tree be overcome. Therefore with angels and archangel, and all the company of heaven, we praise Your holy name and join their glorious song:
Congregation
(Sung) Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of heav’nly hosts
Heaven and earth are full of Your glory
Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna in the highest
Blessed is He. Blessed is He.
Blessed is He Who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna in the highest
Consecration of the Communion Elements (Pastor)
Pastor – The peace of the Lord be with you always.
Congregation – (Sung) Amen.
The Exhortation Regarding the Lord’s Supper (Pastor)
(Please read the following if you have not spoken with
our Pastor about taking communion. Thank you.)
To our Guests this morning, we appreciate your presence among us. It is an honor to have you join with us as we worship our Lord and listen to His Word. We truly consider it a privilege to spend this time with you! It is our hope that you will both return in the future to worship with us again, and – perhaps – that You will even choose to become part of our congregation’s membership and our Synodical (WELS) fellowship, so that you might become even more involved in worship, study of God’s Word, and in Christian ministry and fellowship with us.
In connection with our worship as Christians, we regularly celebrate the Lord’s Supper, or Holy Communion. But, as a key part of our church’s Biblically-based communion practice, before we can ask anyone to commune with us, we are compelled to first sit down with that individual and establish (upon a comprehensive study of the teachings of Scripture) that we are united in full doctrinal/ teaching fellowship…….which Scripture requires of any and all Christians before they can commune together.
Accordingly, we can offer the Lord’s Supper this morning only to those individuals who have completed that course of study, and who have chosen to become confirmed, communicant members of Grace Lutheran congregation or from one of our Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS) or Evangelical Lutheran Synod (ELS) congregations.
For some guests, this Biblical practice of “Close Communion“ is both unfamiliar and (quite possibly) uncomfortable. We realize that, unfortunately, few churches today continue to follow this approach to communion…..though, in the past (when many churches were more concerned about following all of God’s Word than is the case today) nearly all did. We understand that it is not necessarily easy to watch others receiving the Lord’s Supper, while being asked – respectfully — to refrain from receiving it. Many of us who are communing today once also watched others receive the Lord’s Supper, as you are asked to do this morning, while waiting for the privilege of one day being an active partner in this “Close Communion.” We want to assure you that we are not judging your faith in Christ today. Nor it is our desire to offend you. But it also is not our desire to offend or disobey our Lord’s expectations for the proper use of His Supper. Indeed, we must all obey Him above all others, and we want to obey Him.
Consequently, if you have any questions or concerns about our use/practice of the Lord’s Supper (and we invite you to ask or express them — if you do), please feel free to speak with our Pastor after the service, or at your convenience. He considers it a privilege to share with you and others the Biblical reasons for our approach to receiving and offering the Lord’s Supper. In addition, you can also find a brochure in our tract/brochure rack in the entryway; it is entitled “Our Communion Practice.” This brochure also provides our guests and friends with the Scripture-based explanation for our understanding of and use of the Lord’s Supper.
Finally, please know that we truly are grateful for your participation – as a fellow Christian – in this morning’s worship service. We also thank you for your patience and understanding, and for respecting this Biblical approach we must take as we endeavor to faithful make us of our Lord’s Supper. We hope and pray that you will come back to worship with us again — often. And that one day you might become a part of this Christian fellowship, not only as we worship and hear God’s Word from these pews, but as we receive the Lord’s Supper together. May God bless and keep you always!
Distribution Hymns Hymn 420 “God Moves In A Mysterious Way”
1 God moves in a mysterious way His wonders to perform;
He plants his footsteps in the sea And rides upon the storm.
2 Judge not the Lord by feeble sense, But trust him for his grace;
Behind a frowning providence He has a smiling face.
3 Blind unbelief is sure to err And scan his work in vain;
God is his own interpreter, And he will make it plain.
4 You fearful saints, fresh courage take; The clouds you so much dread
Are big with mercy and will break In blessing on your head.
Hymn 313 “Jesus Christ, Our Blessed Savior”
1 Jesus Christ, our blessed Savior, Turned away God’s wrath forever;
By his bitter grief and woe He saved us from the evil foe.
2 As his pledge of love undying, He, this precious food supplying,
Gives his body with the bread And with the wine the blood he shed.
3 Jesus here himself is sharing; Take heed how you are preparing,
For if you do not believe, Judgment instead you shall receive.
4 Useless would be Jesus’ passion If salvation you could fashion.
Do not come if you suppose You need not him who died and rose.
5 Christ says, “Come, all you that labor, And receive my grace and favor;
Those who feel no pain or ill Need no physician’s help or skill.”
6 Then hold fast with faith unshaken That this food is to be taken
By the souls who are distressed, By hearts that long for peace and rest.
7 Praise the Father, who from heaven Unto us such food has given
And, to mend what we have done, Gave into death his only Son.
8 If your heart this truth professes And your mouth your sin confesses,
Surely you will be his guest And at his banquet ever blest.
We Leave With The Lord’s Blessing
The Closing Prayer
The Benediction
The LORD bless you and keep you.
The LORD make His face shine upon You and be gracious unto you,
The LORD look upon you with favor, and grant you His peace. Amen.
Closing Hymn Hymn 439 “Lord, Take My Hand And Lead Me”
1. Lord, take my hand and lead me
Upon life’s way;
Direct, protect, and feed me
From day to day.
Without your grace and favor
I go astray:
So take my hands, O Savior,
And lead the way.
2. Lord, when the tempest rages,
I need not fear;
For you, the Rock of Ages,
Are always near.
Close by your side abiding,
I fear no foe,
For when your hand is guiding,
In peace I go.
3. Lord, when the shadows lengthen
And nigh has come,
I know that you will strengthen
My steps toward home,
And nothing can impede me,
O Blessed Friend!
So, take my hand and lead me
Unto the end.
silent prayer, announcements
post-service music