3rd Sunday Of Easter (Misericordias Domini) ~ 2025

 

Today's Service Leader Rev. Brett Cornelius, Pastor, Holy Cross Lutheran Church

 

 

Today's liturgy is the Divine Service, Setting One, LSB pages 151ff.

 

683 Jesus, Thy Boundless Love to Me

Text: Paul Gerhardt, 1607–76; tr. John B. Wesley, 1703–91, alt.
Tune: Norman Cocker, 1889–1953
Text: Public domain
Tune: © Oxford University Press. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110001518

 

Stand

 

The sign of the cross T may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.

 

Invocation

P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.

C Amen.

 

Exhortation 151

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.

 

"Silent Reflection before Confession"

 

Confession of Sins LSB 151

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.

 

Absolution LSB 151

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 T Son and of the Holy Spirit.

C Amen.

 

Introit Psalm 33:1, 18–20; antiphon: vv. 5b, 6a

The earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord. Alle- | luia.*
By the word of the Lord the heavens were made. Alle- | luia.
Shout for joy in the Lord, O you | righteous!*
Praise befits the | upright.
Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who | fear him,*
on those who hope in his | steadfast love,
that he may deliver their | soul from death*
and keep them alive in | famine.
Our soul waits | for the Lord;*
he is our help | and our shield.
Glory be to the Father and | to the Son*
and to the Holy | Spirit;
as it was in the be- | ginning,*
is now, and will be forever. | Amen.
The earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord. Alle- | luia.*
By the word of the Lord the heavens were made. Alle- | luia.

 

Kyrie LSB 152

 

This Is the Feast LSB 155

 

Salutation and Collect of the Day

P Let us pray.

O God, through the humiliation of Your Son You raised up the fallen world. Grant to Your faithful people, rescued from the peril of everlasting death, perpetual gladness and eternal joys; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

 

Please be Seated

 

Old Testament Reading Ezekiel 34:11–16

¹¹“For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out. ¹²As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. ¹³And I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land. And I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the ravines, and in all the inhabited places of the country. ¹⁴I will feed them with good pasture, and on the mountain heights of Israel shall be their grazing land. There they shall lie down in good grazing land, and on rich pasture they shall feed on the mountains of Israel. ¹⁵I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I myself will make them lie down, declares the Lord God. ¹⁶I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them in justice.”

A This is the Word of the Lord.

C Thanks be to God.

 

Psalm 23 - Sung by The Choir Psalm 23

¹The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
²He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
³He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

⁴Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for you are with me;
your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

⁵You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
⁶Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

 

Epistle 1 Peter 2:21–25

²¹For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. ²²He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. ²³When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. ²⁴He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. ²⁵For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

A This is the Word of the Lord.

C Thanks be to God.

 

Please Stand

 

Gospel Processional~Sung by Cantor and Choir LSB 459-460

 

460 Christians, to the Paschal Victim

Text (sts. 1–3): attr. Wipo of Burgundy, d. c. 1050; (sts. 1–3): tr. The English Hymnal, 1906, alt.; (sts. 1–3): German, 12–15th cent.; (sts. 1–3): tr. Martin Seltz, 1909–67, alt.
Tune: Attr. Wipo of Burgundy, d. ca. 1050; Latin, ca. 1100; Geistliche Lieder auffs new gebessert, Wittenberg, 1533, ed. Joseph Klug
Text (sts. 1–3): © 1969 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110001518
Text (sts. 1–3): Public domain
Tune: Public domain

 

Holy Gospel John 10:11–16

P The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the tenth chapter.

C Glory to You, O Lord.

¹¹[Jesus said:] “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. ¹²He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. ¹³He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. ¹⁴I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, ¹⁵just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. ¹⁶And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.”

P This is the Gospel of the Lord.

C Praise to You, O Christ.

 

Please be Seated

 

709 The King of Love My Shepherd Is

 

5 Thou spreadst a table in my sight;
    Thine unction grace bestoweth;
And, oh, what transport of delight
    From Thy pure chalice floweth!

 

6 And so through all the length of days
    Thy goodness faileth never;
Good Shepherd, may I sing Thy praise
    Within Thy house forever!

Text: Henry W. Baker, 1821–77
Tune: Irish, c. 18th cent.
Text and tune: Public domain

 

Sermon~Rev. Brett E. Cornelius, Pastor Holy Cross Lutheran Church

 

Please Stand

 

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 T of the world to come. Amen.

 

Prayer of the Church

 

Please be Seated

 

Offering

 

Offering Hymn

 

740 I Am Jesus’ Little Lamb

Text: Henrietta L. von Hayn, 1724–82; tr. The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941
Tune: Choral-Buch . . . Brüder-Gemeinen, 1784, Leipzig
Text and tune: Public domain

 

Offertory 159

 

Please Stand

 

Preface LSB 160

 

Proper Preface (Abbreviated) LSB 161

P It is truly good, right, and salutary . . . evermore praising You and saying:

 

Sanctus LSB 161

 

Prayer of Thanksgiving 161

P Blessed are You, Lord of heaven and earth, for You have had mercy on those whom You created and sent Your only-begotten Son into our flesh to bear our sin and be our Savior. With repentant joy we receive the salvation accomplished for us by the all-availing sacrifice of His body and His blood on the cross.

Gathered in the name and the remembrance of Jesus, we beg You, O Lord, to forgive, renew, and strengthen us with Your Word and Spirit. Grant us faithfully to eat His body and drink His blood as He bids us do in His own testament. Gather us together, we pray, from the ends of the earth to celebrate with all the faithful the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, which has no end. Graciously receive our prayers; deliver and preserve us. To You alone, O Father, be all glory, honor, and worship, with the Son and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

C Amen.

 

Lord’s Prayer LSB 162

P Lord, remember us in Your kingdom and teach us to pray:

C 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.

 

The Words of Our Lord

P Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My T body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”

In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My T blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”

 

Pax Domini LSB 163

 

Agnus Dei LSB 163

 

Please be Seated

 

Distribution Hymns

 

628 Your Table I Approach

 

5 O grant, most blessèd 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.

Text: Gerhard Wolter Molanus, 1633–1722; tr. Matthias Loy, 1828–1915, alt.
Tune: Trente quatre Pseaumes de David, 1551, Geneva, ed. Louis Bourgeois
Text and tune: Public domain

 

711 Savior, like a Shepherd Lead Us

Text: Hymns for the Young, 1836, 4th ed., London, alt.
Tune: William B. Bradbury, 1816–68
Text and tune: Public domain

 

Please Stand

 

Nunc Dimittis LSB 165

 

Post-Communion Collect

A Let us pray.

We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

 

Benediction LSB 166

 

666 O Little Flock, Fear Not the Foe

Text: Jacob Fabricius, 1593–1654; tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–78, alt.
Tune: German, 1534, Nürnberg
Text and tune: Public domain

 

Acknowledgments

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2025 Concordia Publishing House.