The Seventh Sunday after the Festival of the Holy Trinity
also known as the Ninth Sunday of the Pentecost Season
August 03, 2025
We Believe and Confess Through the Apostles’ Creed
I Believe In the Certainty
of Jesus’ Bodily Resurrection
The ancient world boasted of seven wonders: the pyramids of Egypt; the hanging gardens of Babylon; the temple of the pagan goddess Diana in Ephesus; the lighthouse at Alexandria, Egypt; the Colossus (huge bronze statue) in the harbor at Rhodes; the statue of the pagan god Zeus at Olympia, Greece; and the tomb of the Persian king, Mausalus, at Halicarnassus. Of all those ancient wonders, only the pyramids are still standing. All the others long ago crumbled into dust, along with the ancient belief systems, honored individuals, and world powers whose accomplishments they memorialized.
But another wonder – the greatest wonder – of the ancient world remains very much in evidence today. It is, of course, the wonder of the empty tomb of Jesus at Jerusalem. When the body of our Savior was laid into the tomb late in the day on the first Good Friday, the forces of evil – Satan, included – were certain that they finally and fully had achieved victory over their most dangerous rival. But Jesus did not stay dead. He was raised from his grave – miraculously and majestically – on the third day.
Five centuries ago, Martin Luther wrote: “The Gospel does not explain the resurrection. The resurrection explains why we have the Gospels.” It also explains why you and I have come to this house of worship today to celebrate and confess our faith in Christ’s real resurrection and the all-encompassing significance it has for our earthly and eternal existence. There is no mistaking the fact that the doctrine of the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ is the cornerstone of our Christian faith. In many ways the reality of Jesus’ bodily resurrection from the grave is the Christian Church’s “crown jewel”…..making the faith we will confess this morning (and live every day) not only precious to us, but one in which we can confidently rest all our hopes for here and especially for heaven.
Because Jesus really and truly rose from His grave after three days, we know: 1) that He is our God; 2) that our sins are fully forgiven (the resurrection is the proof that the Father accepted His Son’s sin-sacrifice as the world’s Substitute); and 3) that just as He has conquered death and lives eternally…..even so we will share both in His victory over death – death no longer has eternal mastery over us – and in His resurrection, since He has promised (and has the power to insure) that one day we too will bodily rise from our graves to everlasting life through faith in Him.
These truths and others will be presented throughout this morning’s service, whether that’s in our Scripture Readings, in the resurrection-confessing hymns that we will be singing today, and in our Sermon.
Our Opening Scripture Lesson centers on Jesus’ probing question to His friend, Martha, on the solemn occasion of her brother Lazarus’ death. He asks her, as He also asks us, “Do you believe (that I am the resurrection and the life…..and that whoever lives and believes in Me will never die)?” As we gather here today, may Martha’s confession of faith in Christ as the Son of God, the Savior Who was to come into the world, be our confession of faith also!
Sadly, not everyone does believe this. Just like they exist today, even so 20 centuries ago in Jerusalem there were plenty of skeptics and outright unbelievers when it came to the reality of Jesus’ resurrection. For example, as we’ll see in our Gospel Lesson the chief priests and teachers of the OT Law denied the reality of the resurrection even after the Roman soldiers who’d been guarding the tomb came and told them that Jesus had physically risen from the grave. They “persuaded” those soldiers to spread the lie that Jesus’ disciples came during the night and stole His body away. Today many “scientific” (and unbelieving) people reject the wonderful reality of Jesus’ resurrection, saying it simply couldn’t have occurred….since resurrections from the grave don’t happen in every day life. Still others (including some so-called theologians and ministers), have attempted to “de-mythologize” the Biblical record (that is, they are committed to “removing” everything miraculous – claiming that miracles are not real, but are myths). However, by the grace of God you and I know the truth, and through this morning’s Scripture Lessons we are going to examine both the reality of Jesus’ Bodily resurrection from His grave, as well as the relevance of His resurrection for our lives of faith today…….nearly 2 millennia after the fact.
In today’s Sermon Text…….Mark very simply presents the event of Jesus’ bodily resurrection on that first Easter morning as the historical fact it is. Accordingly, along with Christians down through 20 centuries, we confidently confess in our three church-wide creeds (Apostles’, Nicene and Athanasian) that Jesus truly did rise from His grave, and that He lives now as our Lord and Savior.
Next, for our Epistle reading, we’ll examine the Apostle Paul’s list of eye-witnesses who saw the Risen Lord with the understanding that the Resurrection Is a Fact, NOT a Fable. The reality of Christ’s resurrection is supported well by the testimony of hundreds of eye-witnesses. What they saw, they not only recorded for us – as the Gospel writers did under the Holy Spirit’s guidance – they also proclaimed the resurrection Gospel far and wide, and many believed because of their witness. Likewise, may every one of us today and always personally and publicly profess our faith in Christ, that Jesus might be glorified through us, and that others may join us in this faith in our Risen Lord and Savior which we confess and celebrate today.
Jesus predicted that He would die and 3 days later rise from his grave. In connection with His prediction/promise, we’ll recognize and find encouragement in the fact that all of God’s promises to us always come true. This truth is the basis for today’s Children’s Lesson.
Finally, in our Old Testament Lesson, Job expresses his confidence in the bodily resurrection of Jesus……particularly in the words, “I KNOW that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end He will stand upon the earth.” Job’s beautiful profession of faith also provides us with the Biblical for this morning’s Closing Hymn, “I Know That My Redeemer Lives!” Because He does live, for ever and ever! And, through faith in Him….so will we!
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 Invocation
P: We begin this service in the name of the Father
Congregation Who gave us our lives through His almighty power.
P: And of the Son
C: Who redeemed our lives with His precious blood.
P And of the Holy Spirit
C: Who gave us eternal life through faith in Christ Jesus.
P: Amen.
Today’s Opening Scripture Lesson John 11:21-27
21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that whatever You ask from God, God will give You.”
23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”
24 Martha replied, “I know that he will rise in the resurrection on the Last Day.”
25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me will live, even if he dies. 26 And whoever lives and believes in Me will never perish. Do you believe this?”
27 “Yes, Lord,” she told Him. “I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, Who was to come into the world.”
The Opening Hymn Hymn 143 “He’s Risen, He’s Risen, Christ Jesus the Lord”
1. He’s risen, he’s risen, Christ Jesus, the Lord;
He opened Death’s prison, The incarnate, Word.
Break forth, hosts of heaven, in jubilant song
While earth, sea, and mountain the praises prolong.
2. The foe was triumphant when on Calvary
The Lord of creation was nailed to the tree.
In Satan’s domain did the hosts shout and jeer,
For Jesus was slain, whom the evil ones fear.
3. But short was their triumph, the Savior arose,
And death, hell, and Satan He vanquished, His foes;
The conquering Lord lifts his banner on high.
He lives, yes, he lives, and will nevermore die.
4. Oh, where is your sting, death? We fear you no more;
Christ rose, and now open is fair Eden’s door.
For all our transgressions His blood does atone;
Redeemed and forgiven, we now are His own.
5. Then sing your hosannas and raise your glad voice;
Proclaim the blest tidings that all may rejoice.
Laud, honor, and praise to the Lamb that was slain;
Who now sits in glory, and ever shall reign.
After which, the Congregation will be asked to rise as
We Confess our Sins to the Lord
Pastor God, our Heavenly Father, invites us to come into His presence and to worship Him with humble and penitent hearts. Therefore, let us now turn to Him, acknowledging our sinfulness and seeking His forgiveness for all our sins.
Congregation Holy and merciful Father, + I confess that I am by nature sinful + and that I have disobeyed You in my thoughts, words, and actions; + I have done what is evil in Your sight + and have failed to do what is good. + For this I know that I deserve Your punishment, + both now and for eternity. + But I am truly sorry for all my sins, + and trusting in the perfect life + and innocent death of my Savior, Jesus Christ, + I plead: + God have mercy on me, a sinner.
Pastor Our gracious Lord and Master has shown us His mercy: He has given His one and only Son to save us from all our sins. And now, under His command and authority, I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. May the peace of God rest upon all of you.
Congregation Amen.
Lord Have Mercy
P: For all that we need in life, and for the wisdom to use all Your gifts with gratitude and joy, hear our prayer, O Lord.
C: (sung) Lord have mercy
p: For the steadfast assurance that nothing can separate us from Your love and for the courage to stand firm against the assaults of Satan and every evil, hear our prayer, O Christ:
C: (Sung) Christ have mercy.
P: For the well-being of Your holy Church in all the world and for those who offer here their worship and praise, hear our prayer, O Lord
C: (Sung) Lord have mercy.
p: Merciful God, Maker and Preserver of life, uphold us by Your power, and keep us in Your tender care:
C: (sung) Amen.
P: The works of the Lord are great and glorious; His name is worthy of praise.
(Sung) O Lord, our Lord, How glorious is Your name in all the earth.
Almighty God, merciful Father, Your crown our life with Your love.
You take away our sin; You comfort our spirit;
You make us pure and holy in Your sight.
You did not spare Your only Son, but gave Him up for us all.
O Lord, our Lord, How glorious is Your name in all the earth.
O Son of God, eternal Word of the Father,
You came to live with us; You made Your Father known;
You washed us from our sins in Your own blood.
You are the King of glory; You are the Lord!
O Lord, our Lord, How glorious is Your name in all the earth.
The Early Prayer for This Morning
Almighty and everlasting God, + through the glorious resurrection of Your Son, Jesus Christ, + You have overcome death + and opened the gates of eternal life to us. + Although our human minds cannot comprehend how it is possible, + Your Word has convinced us that it is true: + our Lord is risen, He is risen indeed! + We beg You, therefore, to sow in our hearts the joy of sins forgiven, + and the confidence of everlasting life in heaven + through faith in Jesus Christ our Savior, + so that we may bring forth in our lives + the fruit of the Christian faith we are proclaiming with our lips today. + Amen.
After which the Congregation will be seated as
We Hear God’s Word
The Old Testament Lesson Job 19:23-27
23 Oh how I wish that my words were written down.
Oh how I wish that they were inscribed in bronze,
24 that they would be engraved in rock forever
with an iron tool and letters filled with lead.
25 As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives,
and that at the end of time He will stand over the dust.
26 Then, even after my skin has been destroyed,
nevertheless, in my own flesh I will see God.
27 I myself will see Him.
My own eyes will see Him, and not as a stranger.
My emotions are in turmoil within me.
The Epistle Lesson I Corinthians 15:1-8
Brothers, I am going to call your attention to the gospel that I preached to you. You received it, and you took your stand on it. 2 You are also being saved by that gospel that was expressed in the words I preached to you, if you keep your hold on it—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received:
that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures,
4 that He was buried,
that He was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,
5 and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve.
6 After that He appeared to over five hundred brothers at the same time, most of whom are still alive, but some have fallen asleep. 7 Then He appeared to James, and then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, He appeared also to me, the stillborn child, so to speak.
The Sequence Hymn “Because He Lives”
by William and Gloria Gaither
(used, with permission, under CCLI 13666699)
God sent His Son, they called Him Jesus,
He came to love, heal and forgive;
He lived and died To buy my pardon,
An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives.
Because He lives I can face tomorrow,
Because He lives, All fear is gone;
Because I know —- He holds the future
And life is worth the living just because He lives.
And then one day I’ll cross the river,
I’ll fight life’s final war with pain;
And then as death gives way to victory,
I’ll see the lights of glory – and I’ll know He lives.
Because He lives I can face tomorrow,
Because He lives, All fear is gone;
Because I know —- He holds the future
And life is worth the living just because He lives.
after which the Congregation will rise for the reading of
This Morning’s Gospel Lesson Matthew 28:1-15
After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. 2 Suddenly, there was a great earthquake! For an angel of the Lord came down from heaven, and going to the tomb, he rolled away the stone and was sitting on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing was as white as snow. 4 The guards were so terrified of him that they shook and became like dead men. 5 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid! I know that you are looking for Jesus, Who was crucified. 6 He is not here. He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. 7 Go quickly and tell His disciples, ‘He has risen from the dead! And look, He is going ahead of you to Galilee. There you will see Him.’ See, I have told you!”
8 They hurried away from the tomb, with fear and great joy, and ran to tell His disciples. 9 Suddenly Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” They approached, took hold of His feet, and worshipped Him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go, tell My brothers that they should go to Galilee, and there they will see Me.”
11 As they were on their way, there were some members of the guard who went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. 12 After the chief priests had assembled with the elders and had reached a decision, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers 13 and said, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came at night and stole Him away while we were sleeping.’ 14 If the governor hears about it, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” 15 After the soldiers took the money, they did as they were instructed. And this story has been repeated among the Jews until this day.
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 Ghost 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 sitteth on the right hand of the Father; And He shall come again with glory, to judge both the quick and the dead; Whose Kingdom shall have no end. And I believe in the Holy Ghost, The Lord and Giver of Life, Who proceedeth from the Father and the Son, Who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified, Who spake by the Prophets. And I believe 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.
The Children’s Lesson John 2:19-21
19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up again.”
20 The Jews said, “It took forty-six years to build this temple! And You are going to raise it in three days?” 21 But Jesus was speaking about the temple of His body.
II Corinthians 1:20
20 In fact, as many promises as God has made, they have always been “Yes” in Him. For that reason we also say “Amen” through him to the glory of God.
Jesus Always Keeps All His Promises
His Resurrection Is One More (and the Best) Proof of That
The Sermon Hymn “Who Stole My Lord Away?”
Sung to the tune of “Diademata” (Crown Him With Many Crowns; CW 341)
“Who stole my Lord away?”
His dear friend, Mary, cried.
Unknown to her at dawn of day
He rose most glorified.
His clothes lay on the ground
And much to her despair
Her precious Lord could not be found.
He was no longer there.
Then as she turned about
She saw a man draw near.
She thought within her mind, “no doubt
the gardener is here.”
But when He called her name
That first glad Easter Day,
She knew it was her Lord Who came
No one stole Him away!
Who steals Your Lord away?
Is it your earthly friends?
Are you misled by them each day
To follow worldly trends?
Do you seek earthly wealth
And push Your Lord aside?
Consider your eternal health
From God you cannot hide.
Hold fast to what is true.
Proclaim His glorious name.
There is no one who loves you more.
He’ll always be the same —
The God-Man, Jesus Christ,
Our resurrected Lord
Our King, the Judge of heav’n and earth
Fore’er by us adored! Amen.
after which the Congregation will rise for
The Greeting
Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge
of God, and of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Sermon Text Mark 16:1-8
When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so they could go and anoint Jesus. 2 Very early on the first day of the week, at sunrise, they went to the tomb. 3 They were saying to each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance to the tomb for us?” 4 When they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away.
5 As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. 6 He said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, Who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him. 7 But go, tell His disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see Him, just as He told you.’”
8 They went out and hurried away from the tomb, trembling and perplexed. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.
The Certainty of Jesus’ Bodily Resurrection
Pastor To Him Who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy — to the only God our Savior, be glory, majesty, power, and authority now and forever. Amen.
We Present our Offerings and Prayers to the Lord
Offerings will be received this morning through offering plates passed among those who have gathered here for worship. However, for those viewing this service online, we offer you the following suggestions for providing God with Your thank-offerings through our ministry:
1) You can mail a check (no cash, please) to our church address
(415 N. 6th Place, Lowell, AR 72745); or
2) You can donate through our website: www.gracelutherannwa.com
Our Offerings of Love to our Lord
As the offerings are brought to the altar, the Congregation will rise for
The Prayers of the Church
Included in our prayers this morning is a Special Prayer
on behalf of our brother and sister in Christ, Tim and Diane Pfortmiller
as Tim waits God’s call to heaven, and as Diane anticipates the loss of her husband
and also
a Prayer of Thanksgiving for Harriet and John Johnson,
who will be celebrating their wedding anniversary this coming Friday
P: We give thanks to You, Lord and Father, for the rest and peace of the night which You have given us, and for the blessing of sharing another day of worship with Your saints and study of Your precious Word.
C: Enable us to grow in Your grace + and build each of us up in our faith + since we have meditated upon Your Word, + and are now about to receive the blessed assurance that our sins are forgiven + and that new life and salvation are ours + through the Sacrament of our Savior’s body and blood.
P: Fill us with that true wisdom which can only come from Your Word. And give every one of us an unquenchable love for those Scriptures.
C: Bless everyone in our church family, + from the youngest to the oldest + by giving us all a burning desire to conform our faith and lives to the teachings of Your Word.
P: Each day overcome our human faults, frailties, and sins, so that they will not hinder the work which You have entrusted to us as Your servants in ths world. In fact, grant that all our words, actions, and intentions reflect our love for the Lamb of God who has taken away the sin of the whole world.
C: Make the crucified and risen Christ + the very center of all our worship, faith, and lives. + We also ask that You would bless all who serve You and us + through the various ministries of our congregation + from our pastor to the elected officers and leaders of our church, + to the many other persons + who give of their time, abilities and energy to carry out Your Work in this church family.
P: Be with all those in our church family and extended family who are contending with physical, emotional, material and spiritual problems. Strengthen them through Your Word to successfully face the challenging circumstances into which You have placed them, and – according to Your mercy and in Your own, perfect time – grant them relief, recovery and restoration as You, alone know best.
C: Give us all genuine enthusiasm and true wisdom + for the tasks You have given us to do in this life. + Keep us from becoming worldly. + Never let us forget that we are men, women and children which You have called + to be the “salt” and “light” of Your grace to this sinful world. + Keep us from becoming discouraged + and enable us to be pillars of strength and sources of encouragement + for both our brothers and sisters in this congregation + along with our extended families and friends, + as well as for all those whose lives touch ours.
P: Finally, Lord God, accept our thanks for the privilege of being part of Your Church, not only for today and for all eternity, through Your grace to us in Christ, our Savior. Please receive and bless this prayer for Jesus’ sake, Who lives and rules with You and the Holy Spirit, as the one, true God, forever and ever. It is in His name that we also join now in praying:
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 to the Lord
Pastor – Let us give thanks unto the Lord, our God.
Congregation (Sung) It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
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. He raised Christ from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms, and placed all things under His feet for the benefit of the Church. Now have come the salvation and power and the Kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ., To Him Who sits on the throne and to the Lamb, be praise and thanks and glory and honor for ever and ever.
Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts,
The whole earth is full of Your glory.
You are my God and I will exalt You.
I will give You thanks for You have become my salvation.
Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts.
The whole earth is full of Your glory.
Consecration of the Communion Elements (Pastor)
Pastor The peace of the Lord be with you always.
Congregation (Sung) Amen.
O Christ, Lamb of God, You take away the sin of the world;
Have mercy on us.
O Christ, Lamb of God, You take away the sin of the world;
Have mercy on us.
O Christ, Lamb of God, You take away the sin of the world;
Grant us Your peace. Amen.
The Exhortation Regarding the Lord’s Supper
The Distribution of the Lord’s Supper
(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!
The Distribution Hymn “Your Table I Approach” (TLH 310)
1 Your Table I approach; Dear Savior, hear my prayer;
Oh, let no unrepented sin Prove hurtful to me there!
2 Lord, I confess my sins And mourn their wretched bands;
A contrite heart is sure to find Forgiveness at Your hands.
3 Your body and Your blood, Once slain and shed for me,
Are taken here with mouth and soul, In blest reality.
4 Search not how this takes place, This wondrous mystery;
God can accomplish vastly more Than what we think could be.
5 O grant, most blessed Lord, That earth and hell combined
May not about this sacrament Raise doubt within my mind.
6 Oh, may I never fail To thank You day and night
For Your true body and true blood, O God, my Peace and Light.
The Second Communion Hymn Hymn 309 Draw Near and Take the Body of the Lord”
1 Draw near and take the body of the Lord,
And drink the holy blood for you outpoured.
Offered was he for greatest and for least,
Himself the victim and himself the priest.
2 He that his saints in this world rules and shields
To all believers life eternal yields,
With heav’nly bread makes them that hunger whole,
Gives living waters to the thirsty soul.
3 Come forward, then, with faithful hearts sincere,
And take the pledges of salvation here.
Before your altar, Lord, your servants bow;
In this your feast of love be with us now.
We Leave With The Lord’s Blessing
The Closing Prayer
The Benediction
The LORD bless you and keep you.
The LORD make His face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you.
The LORD look with favor upon you, and give you His peace. Amen.
The Closing Hymn Hymn 152 “I Know That My Redeemer Lives”
verses 1,2,7, 8
1 I know that my Redeemer lives;
What comfort this sweet sentence gives!
He lives, he lives, who once was dead;
He lives, my ever-living Head!
2 He lives triumphant from the grave;
He lives eternally to save.
He lives all-glorious in the sky;
He lives exalted there on high.
7 He lives and grants me daily breath;
He lives, and I shall conquer death.
He lives my mansion to prepare;
He lives to bring my safely there.
8 He lives, all glory to his name!
He lives, my Jesus, still the same.
Oh, the sweet joy this sentence gives:
“I know that my Redeemer lives!”
Silent Prayer
Announcements,
Post-service music
+ + + Thank You + + +
For being a part of our worshiping assembly this morning.
We invite you to join those around you for some good conversation and fellowship at the
conclusion of today’s announcements. We also invite you to join us for coffee, juice, and
other refreshments in our gymnasium/fellowship hall.
Finally, we encourage you to remain afterward
with us for further growth in God’s Word through our Bible Class and Sunday
School Classes. May the comfort of God’s love and His forgiveness through Jesus Christ
be with you throughout this day and this week.