First Sunday of End Time Reformation Sunday — November 1, 2020

 

Today’s Theme for Worship: Reformation is not merely a celebration of our Lutheran heritage. It is a festival of the Word. In every age, people have suffered for proclaiming God’s Word.

 

Opening Hymn: We Marvel
words and music by Raquel Freese

We marvel at the flawless
Word that tells of God’s great plan
For our redemption, full and free,
which came through God made man.
This holy book we have been giv’n
is such a treasure dear.
The one true story of God’s love
 is found in Scripture clear.

We marvel at the gospel love
that Christ our Savior showed
When he, for us, hung on the cross
and bore sin’s heavy load.
For sin and death and Satan's pow'r
were crushed when Jesus died.
The only path to heav’nly life
is Christ the crucified.

We marvel at the saving faith
that God the Spirit stirred
Within our hearts, and strengthens still,
through Sacrament and Word.
Through faith God gives true righteousness
by no works of our own.
We know that we are justified-
it is through faith alone.

We marvel at the boundless grace
that flows from God above.
He looks upon our sinful hearts
and shows us perfect love.
For now we have the comfort
of our Father’s warm embrace
As he proclaims that we’re forgiv’n;
all this alone through grace.

 

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

C: Amen.

 

Confession of Sins

 

P: Beloved in the Lord, let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins to God our Father, asking him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.

C: 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 and failed to do what is good. For this I deserve your punishment both now and in eternity. But I am truly sorry for my sins, and trusting in my Savior Jesus Christ, I pray: Lord have mercy on me, a sinner.

 

Lord Have Mercy

 

Kyrie

C: (sung) Lord, have mercy on us, Christ, have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us.

 

P: God our heavenly Father, has been merciful to us and has given his only Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Therefore as a called servant of Christ and by his authority, I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

C: Amen.

 

Prayer and Praise

P: In the peace of forgiveness, let us praise the Lord.

 

Glory Be to God

 

Glory be to God on high, and on earth peace, good will toward men,

We praise you, we bless you, we worship you,

we glorify you, we give thanks to you, for you great glory,

 

O Lord God, heavenly king, God the Father almighty,

O Lord , the only begotten Son, Jesus Christ;

O Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father,

 

You take away the sin of the world; have mercy on us.

You take away the sin of the world; receive our prayer,

You sit at the right hand of God the Father; have mercy on us.

 

For you only are holy; you only are the Lord.

You only, O Christ, with the Holy Spirit,

are most high in the glory of God the Father, Amen

 

 

Prayer of the Day

P: The Lord be with you.

C: And also with you.

 

P: Let us Pray.

P: Gracious Lord, our refuge and strength, pour out your Holy Spirit on your faithful people. Keep them steadfast in your Word, protect and comfort them in all temptations, defend them against all their enemies, and bestow on the Church your saving peace; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. C:(sung) Amen.

 

FIRST LESSON: Daniel 6:10-12, 16-23 - Even though he knew that the king might kill him because of his faith, Daniel continued to worship the true God!

 

10Now, when Daniel learned that the document had been signed, he went to his house. It had windows on its upper story that opened toward Jerusalem. Three times each day he would get on his knees and pray and offer praise before his God. He continued to do that, just as he had been doing before this. 11Then these men came as a group and found Daniel praying and seeking favor from his God.

12They then went and asked the king about the decree. “Your Majesty, did you not sign a decree that anyone who prays to any god or person for thirty days except to you, Your Majesty, would be thrown into the den of lions?”

The king answered, “Indeed I did. The order is established as a law of the Medes and the Persians that cannot be revoked.”

16Then the king gave the order, and Daniel was brought and thrown into the lions’ den. The king said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you.” 17A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the pit. The king sealed it with his signet ring and the signet rings of his nobles so that nothing could be changed with regard to Daniel’s situation. 18Then the king went to his palace. He spent the night without food, and no entertainment was brought before him. But he could not sleep.

19At dawn the king arose as soon as it was light and hurried to the lions’ den. 20As he came near the pit, he cried out in a fearful voice. The king said to Daniel, “Daniel, servant of the living God, was your God, whom you serve continually, able to rescue you from the lions?”

21Then Daniel spoke with the king. “Your Majesty, may you live forever! 22My God sent his angel and shut the mouth of the lions. They have not hurt me because he found me innocent in his presence. Also before you, Your Majesty, I have committed no crime.”

23Then the king was very glad and said that Daniel should be brought up from the pit. So Daniel was brought up from the pit, and he was unharmed because he trusted in his God.

 

Psalm of the Day: Psalm 46

 

Refrain

The mighty Lord is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.

 

God is our refuge and strength,*

an ever-present help in trouble.

 

Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way*

and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,

 

though its waters roar and foam*

and the mountains quake with their surging.

 

Refrain

The mighty Lord is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.

 

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,*

the holy place where the Most High dwells.

 

God is within her, she will not fall;*

God will help her at break of day.

 

“Be still, and know that I am God;*

I will be exalted among the nations,

I will be exalted in the earth.”

 

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.

 

Refrain

The mighty Lord is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.

 

Refrain Tune: Dale Wood. From Seasonal Psalms. © 1978 Augsburg Publishing House. All rights reserved. Used by permission of Augsburg Fortress.

 

P: The Gospel for today is recorded in the gospel according to St. Matthew, chapter 10.

C: Glory be to you, O Lord!

 

GOSPEL: Matthew 10:16-23 - Jesus sends his disciples out to proclaim his message. He tells them what to expect persecution, betrayal and hatred.

16“Look, I am sending you out as sheep among wolves. So be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. 17Be on guard against people. They will hand you over to councils, and they will whip you in their synagogues. 18You will be brought into the presence of governors and kings for my sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. 19Whenever they hand you over, do not be worried about how you will respond or what you will say, because what you say will be given to you in that hour. 20In fact you will not be the ones speaking, but the Spirit of your Father will be speaking through you.

21“Brother will hand over his brother to death, and a father will do the same with his child. Children will rise up against parents and have them put to death. 22You will be hated by all people because of my name, but whoever endures to the end will be saved. 23And when they persecute you in one town, flee to the next. Amen I tell you: You will not finish going through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.”

P: This is the gospel of our Lord.

C: Praise be to you, O Christ!

 

 

Nicene Creed

We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one being with the Father.

Through him all things were made.  For us and for our salvation, he came down from heaven, was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary, and became fully human.  For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate.  He suffered death and was buried.  On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures.

He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.  He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who in unity with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets.  We believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church.  We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.  We look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come.  Amen.

 

Hymn of the Day: 200 A Mighty Fortress Is Our God

 

1  A mighty fortress is our God, A trusty shield and weapon;

He helps us free from ev’ry need That has us now o’ertaken.

The old evil foe Now means deadly woe;

Deep guile and great might Are his dread arms in fight;

On earth is not his equal.

 

2  With might of ours can naught be done; Soon were our loss effected.

But for us fights the valiant one Whom God himself elected.

You ask, “Who is this?” Jesus Christ it is,

The almighty Lord. And there’s no other God;

He holds the field forever.

 

3  Though devils all the world should fill, All eager to devour us,

We tremble not, we fear no ill; They shall not overpow’r us.

This world’s prince may still Scowl fierce as he will,

He can harm us none. He’s judged; the deed is done!

One little word can fell him.

 

4  The Word they still shall let remain, Nor any thanks have for it;

He’s by our side upon the plain With his good gifts and Spirit.

And do what they will-Hate, steal, hurt, or kill-

Though all may be gone, Our victory is won;

The kingdom’s ours forever!

 

Text: Martin Luther, 1483-1546; tr. composite.

 

 

Sermon                                     Galatians 5:1-6

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not allow anyone to put the yoke of slavery on you again. 2Look, I, Paul, tell you that if you allow yourselves to be circumcised, Christ will be of no benefit to you. 3I testify again to every man who allows himself to be circumcised that he is obligated to do the whole law. 4You who are trying to be declared righteous by the law are completely separated from Christ. You have fallen from grace.

5Indeed, through the Spirit, we by faith are eagerly waiting for the sure hope of righteousness. 6For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision matters. Rather, it is faith working through love that matters.

 

 

Cre-ate in me a clean heart, O God,

and re-new a right spir-it with-in me.

 

Cast me not a-way from your pres-ence,

and take not your Ho-ly Spir-it from me.

 

Re-store un-to me the joy of your sal-va-tion,

     and up-hold me with your free Spir-it. A-men.

 

 

Offering Prayer

Electronic Giving! You can give your offerings from your smartphone with the GivePlusChurch app, which can be downloaded for free at Google Play or the App Store. You can also give at holytrinitylutheranwyoming.com by clicking the Offerings link at the top of the page or scan the QR code below. If you have any questions about any of these options, please contact Dave Conrad at dconrad765@gmail.com or 616-406-7172

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Prayer of the Church

 

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

 

The Sacrament

 

P: The Lord be with you.

C: And also with you.

 

P: Lift up your hearts.

C: We lift them up to the Lord.

 

P: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

C: It is good and right so to do.

 

P: It is truly good and right that we should at all times and in all places give you thanks, O Lord, holy Father, almighty and everlasting God, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who preserves his Church to the end of time when he will come again as king to judge all people and take his own to glory. Therefore, with all the saints on earth and hosts of heaven, we praise your holy name and join their glorious song:

 

Holy, Holy, Holy

 

Ho-ly, ho-ly, ho-ly Lord God of heav-en-ly hosts:

heav'n and earth are full of your glo-ry.

Ho-san-na, ho-san-na, ho-san-na in the high-est.

Bless-ed is he, bless-ed is he,

bless-ed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

Ho-san-na, ho-san-na, ho-san-na in the high-est.

 

Words of Institution

 

P: Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night he was betrayed, took bread; and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying “Take and eat; this is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

Then he took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it all of you; this is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for you for the forgiveness of sins. Do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.”

 

P: The peace of the Lord be with you always.

C: A-men.

 

 

O Christ, Lamb Of God

O Christ, Lamb of God,

you take a-way the sin of the world;

have mer-cy on us.

 

O Christ, Lamb of God,

you take a-way the sin of the world;

have mer-cy on us.

 

O Christ, Lamb of God,

you take a-way the sin of the world;

grant us your peace. A-men.

 

 

Song of Simeon

Lord, now you let your servant de-part in peace

ac-cord-ing to your word.

 

For my eyes have seen your salvation,

which you have pre-pared be-fore the face of all people,

 

a light to light-en the Gen-tiles

and the glo-ry of your peo-ple Is-ra-el.

 

P: O Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.

C: And his mercy endures forever.

 

Prayer and Blessing

P: We give thanks, almighty God, that you have refreshed us with this holy supper. We pray that through it you will strengthen our faith in you and increase our love for one another. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

 

OR

 

P: O God the Father, source of all goodness, in your loving-kindness you sent your Son to share our humanity. We thank you that through him you have given us pardon and peace in this Sacrament. We also pray that you will not forsake us but will rule our hearts and minds by your Holy Spirit so that we willingly serve you day after day, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

 

C: A-men.

 

P: The Lord bless you and keep you.

The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you.

The Lord look on you with favor and + give you peace.

 

C: A-men. A-men. A-men.

 

Closing Hymn: 204 O God Our Lord, Your Holy Word

 

1  O God, our Lord, Your holy Word Was long a hidden treasure

Till to its place It was by grace Restored in fullest measure.

For this today Our thanks we say And gladly glorify you.

Your mercy show And grace bestow On all who still deny you.

 

2  Salvation true By faith in you-That is your gospel’s preaching,

The heart and core Of Bible lore In all its sacred teaching.

In Christ we must Put all our trust, Not in our deeds or labor;

With conscience pure And heart secure Love you, Lord, and our neighbor.

 

3  Lord, you alone This work have done By your free grace and favor.

All who believe Will grace receive Through Jesus Christ, our Savior.

And though the foe Would overthrow Your Word with grim endeavor,

All he has wrought Must come to naught-Your Word will stand forever!

 

4  Since you are mine, My Lord divine, Death holds no dreadful terrors;

Your precious blood, My highest good, Has blotted out my errors.

My thanks to you-Your Word is true! Fulfill your promise ever,

And mercy give While here I live And heav’nly bliss forever.

 

Text: Enchiridion . . . zum Schwartzen Horn, Erfurt, 1527, abr.; tr. W. Gustave Polack, 1890-1950, alt.

 

Organist: Mrs. Jodi Grant