Quinquagesima Sunday - 2023

Today's Service Leader and Speaker - Rev. Jesse Kueker, Admissions Officer, STL Seminary

Today's liturgy is the Divine Service, Setting Four, LSB pages 205ff.

545 Word of God, Come Down on Earth

Text: James Quinn, 1919–2010
Tune: Johann Rudolph Ahle, 1625–73, alt.
Text: © 1969 OCP Publications. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110001518
Tune: Public domain

Stand

The sign of the cross 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 LSB 203

P Our help is in the name of the Lord,

C who made heaven and earth.

P If You, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?

C But with You there is forgiveness; therefore You are feared.

P Since we are gathered to hear God’s Word, call upon Him in prayer and praise, and receive the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ in the fellowship of this altar, let us first consider our unworthiness and confess before God and one another that we have sinned in thought, word, and deed, and that we cannot free ourselves from our sinful condition. Together as His people let us take refuge in the infinite mercy of God, our heavenly Father, seeking His grace for the sake of Christ, and saying: God, be merciful to me, a sinner.

Confession of Sins LSB 203

C Almighty God, have mercy upon us, forgive us our sins, and lead us to everlasting life. Amen.

Prayer for Forgiveness

P Almighty God, merciful Father, in Holy Baptism You declared us to be Your children and gathered us into Your one, holy Church, in which You daily and richly forgive us our sins and grant us new life through Your Spirit. Be in our midst, enliven our faith, and graciously receive our prayer and praise; through Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord.

C Amen.

Introit Psalm 31:1, 5, 9, 16; antiphon: vv. 2b–3

Be a rock of refuge for me,
a strong fortress to save me!
For you are my rock and my fortress;
and for your name’s sake you lead me and guide me.
In you, O Lord, do I take refuge; let me never be put to shame;
in your righteousness deliver me!
Into your hand I commit my spirit;
you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God.
Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am in distress;
my eye is wasted from grief; my soul and my body also.
Make your face shine on your servant;
save me in your steadfast love!
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Be a rock of refuge for me,
a strong fortress to save me!
For you are my rock and my fortress;
and for your name’s sake you lead me and guide me.

Kyrie LSB 204

The "Gloria in Excelsis" is omitted during the Gesimatide and Lent.

Salutation and Collect of the Day

P The Lord be with you.

C And also with you.

P Let us pray.

O Lord, mercifully hear our prayers and having set us free from the bonds of our sins deliver us from every evil; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

C Amen.

Sit

Catechesis - Seventh Petition

P Today's catechetical reading is the Seventh Petition of the Lord's Prayer. What is the Seventh Petition?

C But deliver us from evil. (K)

P What does this mean?

C We pray in this petition, in summary, that our Father in heaven would rescue us from every evil of body and soul, possessions and reputation, and finally, when our last hour comes, give us a blessed end, and graciously take us from this valley of sorrow to Himself in heaven. (2)

P What passages of Holy Scripture inform us and convince us of this truth?

C My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. –Philippians 1:23b (1)

[T]hrough many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God. –Acts 14:22b (3)

As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness;
when I awake, I shall be satisfied with your likeness. –Psalm 17:15 (4)

The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. –2 Timothy 4:18a (4)

The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore. –Psalm 121:7-8 (5)

Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on. –Revelation 14:13b (5)

Choir - I've Got Peace Like a River

Old Testament Reading 1 Samuel 16:1–13

¹The Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you grieve over Saul, since I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go. I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons.” ²And Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me.” And the Lord said, “Take a heifer with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’ ³And invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do. And you shall anoint for me him whom I declare to you.” ⁴Samuel did what the Lord commanded and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city came to meet him trembling and said, “Do you come peaceably?” ⁵And he said, “Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Consecrate yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice.” And he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.

⁶When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is before him.” ⁷But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” ⁸Then Jesse called Abinadab and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, “Neither has the Lord chosen this one.” ⁹Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, “Neither has the Lord chosen this one.” ¹⁰And Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen these.” ¹¹Then Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all your sons here?” And he said, “There remains yet the youngest, but behold, he is keeping the sheep.” And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and get him, for we will not sit down till he comes here.” ¹²And he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy and had beautiful eyes and was handsome. And the Lord said, “Arise, anoint him, for this is he.” ¹³Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon David from that day forward. And Samuel rose up and went to Ramah.

A This is the Word of the Lord.

C Thanks be to God.

Gradual Psalm 77:14–15

You are the God who works wonders;
you have made known your might among the peoples.
You with your arm redeemed your people,
the children of Jacob and Joseph.

Epistle 1 Corinthians 13:1–13

¹If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. ²And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. ³If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.

⁴Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant ⁵or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; ⁶it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. ⁷Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

⁸Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. ⁹For we know in part and we prophesy in part, ¹⁰but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. ¹¹When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. ¹²For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.

¹³So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

A This is the Word of the Lord.

C Thanks be to God.

Stand

Alleluias being omitted during the Gesimas and Lent, the Tract is used in place of the Verse.

Tract Psalm 100:1–3

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!
Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing!
Know that the Lord, he is God!
It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

Holy Gospel Luke 18:31–43

P The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke, the eighteenth chapter.

C Glory to You, O Lord.

³¹Taking the twelve, [Jesus] said to them, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished. ³²For he will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon. ³³And after flogging him, they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise.” ³⁴But they understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said.

³⁵As he drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. ³⁶And hearing a crowd going by, he inquired what this meant. ³⁷They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” ³⁸And he cried out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” ³⁹And those who were in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” ⁴⁰And Jesus stopped and commanded him to be brought to him. And when he came near, he asked him, ⁴¹“What do you want me to do for you?” He said, “Lord, let me recover my sight.” ⁴²And Jesus said to him, “Recover your sight; your faith has made you well.” ⁴³And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.

P This is the Gospel of the Lord.

C Praise to You, O Christ.

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.

Sit

849 Praise the One Who Breaks the Darkness

Text: Rusty Edwards, 1955
Tune: The Sacred Harp, 1844, Philadelphia
Text: © 1987 Hope Publishing Co. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110001518
Tune: Public domain

Sermon - Rev. Jesse Kueker, Admissions Officer, STL Seminary

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Offertory

Prayer of the Church

P In peace, let us pray to the Lord:

C Lord, have mercy.

P For the illumination of the Church, that our gracious Father would heal our spiritual blindness to see the salvation prepared for us through His Son, let us pray to the Lord:

C Lord, have mercy.

P For the Church and her ministers, that pastors may bear gladly the crosses of their office; and that Christians may follow their example in bearing the reproach of the world, the attacks of Satan and the temptations of the flesh in the confidence of Christ’s redemption, let us pray to the Lord:

C Lord, have mercy.

P For the family and all godly Christian homes, that God would give parents diligence and persistence in their duties to teach the faith in word and example; that He would keep all children in His promise made to them in their Baptism; and that the patience, kindness and endurance of Christian love would have no end among us, let us pray to the Lord:

C Lord, have mercy.

P For those in authority over us, that they would govern well and keep good order among us for the benefit of all, let us pray to the Lord:

C Lord, have mercy.

P For all who suffer, [especially _____________,] that the God of all comfort would look on them with compassion, assure them of His presence, deliver them from the temptations of the evil one and heal them according to His will, let us pray to the Lord:

C Lord, have mercy.

P For all who commune today, that our gracious Father would enable them by His Spirit to receive Christ’s true body and blood faithfully; and that He would fill them with everlasting joy and the peace of forgiveness, so that they would be strengthened to follow Him, let us pray to the Lord:

C Lord, have mercy.

P Lord God, heavenly Father, what You foretold through the holy prophets has been fulfilled and accomplished in the suffering, death and resurrection of Your Son. You have set forth His Passion and resurrection as the firm foundation and content for our faith. Have mercy on us, and fix our eyes on the Son of David at all times. Give us courage to follow Him through all adversity and every assault of the devil and to view His Passion with repentant hearts and delight, for by it You have redeemed us from all sin and evil. Comfort us with the certainty of Christ’s resurrection, by which we have the confidence of eternal life; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

C Amen.

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The offering is gathered.

Stand

Preface LSB 208

P The Lord be with you.

C And also with you.

P Lift up your hearts.

C We lift them to the Lord.

P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.

P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, O Lord, holy Father, almighty and everlasting God, for the countless blessings You so freely bestow on us and all creation. Above all, we give thanks for Your boundless love shown to us when You sent Your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, into our flesh and laid on Him our sin, giving Him into death that we might not die eternally. Because He is now risen from the dead and lives and reigns to all eternity, all who believe in Him will overcome sin and death and will rise again to new life. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:

Sanctus 208

Text: Stephen P. Starke

Prayer of Thanksgiving

P Blessed are You, O Lord our God, king of all creation, for You have had mercy on us and given Your only-begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.

As the glory of Your presence once filled Your ancient temple, so in the incarnation of Your Son, Jesus Christ, You manifested the fullness of Your glory in human flesh.

We give You thanks that in His most Holy Supper You reveal Your glory to us. Grant us faithfully to eat His body and drink His blood so that we may one day behold Your glory face to face.

Hear us as we pray in His name and as He has taught us:

Lord’s Prayer

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

P The peace of the Lord be with you always.

C Amen.

Agnus Dei LSB 210

Text: Stephen P. Starke

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Distribution

556 Dear Christians, One and All, Rejoice

5 God said to His belovèd Son:
    “It’s time to have compassion.
Then go, bright jewel of My crown,
    And bring to all salvation.
From sin and sorrow set them free;
Slay bitter death for them that they
    May live with You forever.”

6 The Son obeyed His Father’s will,
    Was born of virgin mother;
And God’s good pleasure to fulfill,
    He came to be my brother.
His royal pow’r disguised He bore;
A servant’s form, like mine, He wore
    To lead the devil captive.

7 To me He said: “Stay close to Me,
    I am your rock and castle.
Your ransom I Myself will be;
    For you I strive and wrestle.
For I am yours, and you are Mine,
And where I am you may remain;
    The foe shall not divide us.

8 “Though he will shed My precious blood,
    Me of My life bereaving,
All this I suffer for your good;
    Be steadfast and believing.
Life will from death the vict’ry win;
My innocence shall bear your sin,
    And you are blest forever.

9 “Now to My Father I depart,
    From earth to heav’n ascending,
And, heav’nly wisdom to impart,
    The Holy Spirit sending;
In trouble He will comfort you
And teach you always to be true
    And into truth shall guide you.

10 “What I on earth have done and taught
    Guide all your life and teaching;
So shall the kingdom’s work be wrought
    And honored in your preaching.
But watch lest foes with base alloy
The heav’nly treasure should destroy;
    This final word I leave you.”

Text: Martin Luther, 1483–1546; tr. Richard Massie, 1800–87, alt.
Tune: Etlich Cristlich lider, 1524, Wittenberg
Text and tune: Public domain

841 O Son of God, in Galilee

Text: Anna B. D. Hoppe, 1889–1941, alt.
Tune: Lucius Chapin, 1760–1842
Text: © 1978 Lutheran Book of Worship. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110001518
Tune: Public domain

744 Amazing Grace

Text (sts. 1–4): John Newton, 1725–1807, alt.; (st. 5): A Collection of Sacred Ballads, 1790, Richmond
Tune: Columbian Harmony, 1829, Cincinnati
Text and tune: Public domain

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Nunc Dimittis LSB 211

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.

C Amen.

Benedicamus LSB 212

A Let us bless 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 T give you peace.

C Amen.

861 Christ Be My Leader

Text: Timothy Dudley-Smith, 1926
Tune: Irish
Text: © 1964, renewed 1992 Hope Publishing Co. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110001518
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.

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