First Sunday in Lent – February 21, 2021

Today’s Theme for Worship: Jesus not only died in our place, he lived a perfect life as our substitute- all to win us back to himself.

Order of Service: Service of Word and Sacrament

 

Opening Hymn: 752 In Christ Alone

1 In Christ alone my hope is found.

He is my light, my strength, my song;

This cornerstone, this solid ground,

Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.

What heights of love, what depths of peace,

When fears are stilled, when strivings cease

My Comforter, my all in all,

Here in the love of Christ I stand.

 

2 In Christ alone who took on flesh,

Fullness of God in helpless babe.

This gift of love and righteousness,

Scorned by the ones he came to save.

Till on that cross, as Jesus died,

The wrath of God was satisfied;

For ev'ry sin on him was laid.

Here in the death of Christ I live.

 

3 There in the ground his body lay,

Light of the world by darkness slain;

Then bursting forth in glorious day

Up from the grave he rose again!

And as he stands in victory,

Sin's curse has lost its grip on me.

For I am his and he is mine

Bought with the precious blood of Christ.

 

4 No guilt in life, no fear in death,

This is the pow'r of Christ in me;

From life's first cry to final breath,

Jesus commands my destiny.

No pow'r of hell, no scheme of man

Can ever pluck me from his hand;

Till he returns or calls me home,

Here in the pow'r of Christ I'll stand.

 

 

P: The grace of our Lord + Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you.

C: And also with you.

 

Lord, We Confess

Confession and Absolution

Responsive Scripture with text from “Lord, We Confess” (CW 398) and tune DETROIT (CW 493). 

 

M: Because we are all sons and daughters of the Lord, we are called by him to repent of our sins. Let us go before our God and ask for his forgiveness. (Acts 17:29-30)

Stanza 1 (Special Music)

Lord, we confess our numerous faults,

How great our guilt has been,

How vain and foolish all our thoughts,

How deeply stained with sin.

 

M: The Apostle John declares, “If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” Together, we confess our sins. (1 John 1:9)

C: Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you only have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight. Cleanse me and I will be clean. Wash me and I will be whiter than snow. Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity. Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. (Psalm 51)

SILENT CONFESSION

Stanza 2 (Special Music)

It’s not by works of righteousness

Which our own hands have done,

But we are saved by God’s free grace

Abounding through his Son.

 

M: Having confessed your sins, hear the good news of our salvation, “the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. Dear children, your sins have been forgiven on account of his name. God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.” (1 John 1:7, 2:12, 5:11)

Stanzas 3-4 (congregation joins)

It’s from the mercy of our God

That all our hopes begin;

Itʼs by the water and the blood

Our souls are washed from sin.

 Raised from the dead we live anew;

And, justified by grace,

We shall appear in glory, too,

And see our Father’s face.

 

P: The works of the Lord are great and glorious; his name is worthy of praise.

 

Song of Praise: Grades K-8 Let’s Light the World

 

Prayer of the Day

P: Let us Pray.

Lord our strength, the battle of good and evil rages within and around us, and our ancient foe tempts us with his deceits and empty promises. Keep us steadfast in your Word, and when we fall, raise us again and restore us through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.  C: A-men.

 

Second Lesson: Romans 8:31-39

Since God did not spare his own Son, not even the troubles we have in this life can separate us from God’s love.

31What then will we say about these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32Indeed, he who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also graciously give us all things along with him?

33Who will bring an accusation against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies! 34Who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus, who died and, more than that, was raised to life, is the one who is at God’s right hand and who is also interceding for us! 35What will separate us from the love of Christ? Will trouble or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36Just as it is written:

For your sake we are being put to death all day long.

We are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.

37No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

38For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor rulers, neither things present nor things to come, nor powerful forces, 39neither height nor depth, nor anything else in creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Verse: Matthew 4:10b
M: It is written: “Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.”

 

Psalm of the Day – Psalm 6

 

Refrain

Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world;

have mercy on us.

 

O LORD, do not rebuke me in your anger*

or discipline me in your wrath.

 

Be merciful to me, LORD, for I am faint;*

O LORD, heal me, for my soul is in anguish.

 

Turn, O LORD, and deliver me;*

save me because of your unfailing love.

 

Refrain

Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world;

have mercy on us.

 

I am worn out from groaning.*

My eyes grow weak with sorrow.

 

Away from me, all you who do evil,*

for the LORD has heard my weeping.

 

The LORD has heard my cry for mercy;*

the LORD accepts my prayer.

 

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

Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world;

have mercy on us.

 

Refrain Tune: Richard Proulx. © 1986 GIA Publications, Inc., Chicago, IL, www.giamusic.com. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

 

Gospel Lesson: Mark 1:12-15
Christ’s defeats Satan at the begin­ning of his public ministry.

12The Spirit immediately sent Jesus out into the wilderness. 13He was in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels were serving him.

14After John was put in prison, Jesus went to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God. 15“The time is fulfilled,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near! Repent, and believe in the gospel.”

 

Hymn of the Day: 201 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: Genesis 22:1-18

Some time later God tested Abraham. He called to him, “Abraham!”

Abraham answered, “I am here.”

2God said, “Now take your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah. Offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains there, the one to which I direct you.”

3Abraham got up early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, along with Isaac his son. Abraham split the wood for the burnt offering. Then he set out to go to the place that God had told him about. 4On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance.

5Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey. The boy and I will go on over there. We will worship, and then we will come back to you.” 6Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and loaded it on Isaac his son. He took the firepot and the knife in his hand. The two of them went on together.

7Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, “My father?”

He said, “I am here, my son.”

He said, “Here are the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?”

8Abraham said, “God himself will provide the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So the two of them went on together. 9They came to the place that God had told him about. Abraham built the altar there. He arranged the wood, tied up Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar on top of the wood. 10Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son.

11The Angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, “Abraham, Abraham!”

Abraham said, “I am here.”

12He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy. Do not do anything to him. For now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.”

13Abraham looked around and saw that behind him there was a ram caught in the thicket by its horns. Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14Abraham called the name of that place “The Lord Will Provide.” So it is said to this day, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”

 

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.

 

 

Offering

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 right to give him thanks and praise.

 

P: Praise to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In love he has blessed us with every spiritual blessing. He made his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. Now have come the salvation and the 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 honor and glory for ever and ever.

 

Holy, Holy, Holy

Ho-ly, ho-ly, ho-ly is the Lord of hosts.

The whole earth is full of your glo-ry.

 

 

You are my God, and I will ex-alt you.

I will give you thanks, for you have be-come my sal-va-tion.

Ho-ly, ho-ly, ho-ly is the Lord of hosts.

The whole earth is full of your glo-ry.

 

 

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 Thanksgiving: Grades K-8 - Luther’s Morning Prayer

 

Prayer

P: Hear the prayer of your people, O Lord, that the lips which have praised you here may glorify you in the world, that the eyes which have seen the coming of your Son may long for his coming again, and that all who have received in his true body and blood the pledge of your forgiveness may be restored to live a new and holy life, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

C: A-men.

 

 

Blessing

M: Brothers and sisters, go in peace. Live in harmony with one another.  Serve the Lord with gladness.

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: (sing) Amen. Amen. Amen.

 

 

Closing Hymn: 371 vv. 1,2,5,7   Oh, Love, How Deep

1  Oh, love, how deep, how broad, how high, Beyond all thought and fantasy,

That God, the Son of God, should take Our mortal form for mortals’ sake!

 

2  He sent no angel to our race, Of higher or of lower place,

But wore the robe of human frame, And to this world himself he came.

 

5  For us, by wickedness betrayed, For us, in crown of thorns arrayed,

He bore the shameful cross and death; For us he gave his dying breath.

 

7  All glory to our Lord and God For love so deep, so high, so broad,

The Trinity whom we adore Forever and forevermore.

 

Text: attr. Thomas à Kempis, 1380-1471, abr.; tr. Benjamin Webb, 1819-85, alt.