Holy Thursday April 14, 2022

Theme of the Day: Holy Thursday: his food, our fill. When God established his New Covenant, it was not a two-sided contract. It was more like a will, listing all the blessings God promised graciously to give his people. No matter who you are or what you have done, the blessing of the New Covenant are “for you.” Eat the food Christ offers, and all your spiritual and eternal needs are satisfied.

Opening Hymn: 416 When You Woke That Thursday Morning

1 When you woke that Thursday morning,
Savior, teacher, faithful friend,
thoughts of self and safety scorning,
knowing how the day would end;
Lamb of God, foretold for ages,
now at last the hour had come
when but One could pay sin’s wages:
you assumed their dreadful sum.

2 Never so alone and lonely,
longing with tormented heart
to be with your dear ones only
for a quiet hour apart:
sinless Lamb and fallen creature,
one last paschal meal to eat,
one last lesson as their teacher,
washing your disciples’ feet.

3 What was there that you could give them
that would never be outspent,
what great gift that would outlive them,
what last will and testament?
“Show me and the world you love me,
know me as the Lamb of God:
do this in remembrance of me,
eat this body, drink this blood.”

4 One in faith, in love united,
all one body, you the head,
when we meet, by you invited,
you are with us, as you said.
One with you and one another
in a unity sublime,
see in us your sister, brother,
one in ev’ry place and time.

5 One day all the Church will capture
that bright vision glorious,
and your saints will know the rapture
that your heart desired for us,
when the longed-for peace and union
of the greatest and the least
meet in joyous, blest communion
in your never-ending feast.

Text: Jaroslav J. Vajda, 1919–2008

Text: © 1991 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: OneLicense no. 703297

P: In this Lenten season we have heard again how our Lord walked the path of suffering which led him to the cross for our salvation. We have also heard our Lord’s call to intensify our struggle against sin, death, and the devil—all that keeps us from loving God and one another. This is the struggle to which we were committed at Baptism; God’s forgiveness and the power of his Spirit to amend our lives continue with us because of his love for us in Jesus our Savior.

Within the family of the Church, God never wearies of giving peace and new life. In the absolution, we receive forgiveness as from God himself. This absolution we should not doubt but firmly believe that our sins are thus forgiven before God in heaven, for it comes to us in the name and by the command of our Lord.

We who receive God’s love in Jesus Christ are called to love one another, to be servants to each other, as Jesus became our servant.

In Holy Communion the members of Christ’s body participate most intimately in his love. Remembering our Lord’s Last Supper with his disciples, we eat the bread and drink the cup of this meal. Together we receive the Lord’s gift of his body and blood for forgiveness and participate in that new covenant that makes us one with him and one another. The Lord’s Supper is the promise of the great banquet we will share with all the faithful when our Lord returns, the joyous culmination of our reconciliation with God and each other.

Confession and Absolution

P: 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)

Verse 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

Verse 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.

P: 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)

Verse 3-4 (congregation joins)

It’s from the mercy of our God

That all our hopes begin;

It's 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.

Prayer of the Day

P: Let us pray.

Lord Jesus Christ, in the Sacrament of Holy Communion you give us your true body and blood as a remembrance of your suffering and death on the cross. Grant us so firmly to believe your words and promise that we may always partake of this Sacrament to our eternal good, for you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

C: Amen.

First Lesson: Jeremiah 31:31-34
³¹Yes, the days are coming, declares the Lord,

when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel

and with the house of Judah.

³²It will not be like the covenant I made with their fathers,

when I took them by the hand

and led them out of the land of Egypt.

They broke that covenant of mine,

although I was a husband to them, declares the Lord.

³³But this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days,

declares the Lord.

I will put my law in their minds,

and I will write it on their hearts.

I will be their God,

and they will be my people.

³⁴No longer will each one teach his neighbor,

or each one teach his brother, saying, “Know the Lord,”

because they will all know me,

from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord,

for I will forgive their guilt,

and I will remember their sins no more.

Psalm of the Day: Psalm 116

Refrain

I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord.

I love the Lord, for he / heard my voice;
he heard my cry for / mercy.

Because he turned his / ear to me,
I will call on him as long / as I live.

For you, Lord, have delivered / me from death,
my eyes from tears, my feet from / stumbling,

that I may walk be- / fore the Lord
in the land of the / living.

Refrain

I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord.

What shall I return / to the Lord
for all his good- / ness to me?

I will lift up the cup of sal- / vation
and call on the name / of the Lord.
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.

Refrain

I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord.

Text: Public domain

Second Lesson: Hebrews 10:15-25

¹⁵The Holy Spirit also testifies in Scripture to us, for first he said:

¹⁶This is the covenant I will make with them

after those days, says the Lord.

I will put my laws on their hearts

and I will write them on their mind.

¹⁷Then he adds:

And I will not remember their sins and their lawlessness any longer.

¹⁸Now where these sins are forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin.

¹⁹Brothers, we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place through the blood of Jesus. ²⁰It is a new and living way he opened for us through the curtain, that is, his flesh. ²¹We also have a great priest over the house of God. ²²So let us approach with a sincere heart, in the full confidence of faith, because our hearts have been sprinkled to take away a bad conscience, and our bodies have been washed with pure water. ²³Let us hold on firmly to the confession of our hope without wavering, since he who promised is faithful.

²⁴Let us also consider carefully how to spur each other on to love and good works. ²⁵Let us not neglect meeting together, as some have the habit of doing. Rather, let us encourage each other, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Verse of the Day: 1 Corinthians 11:26
C: Glory, praise, and honor to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

P: Whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup,

you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

C: Glory, praise, and honor to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Gospel: Luke 22:7-20

⁷The day of Unleavened Bread arrived, when it was necessary to sacrifice the Passover lamb. ⁸Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go prepare the Passover for us, so that we may eat it.”

⁹They said to him, “Where do you want us to prepare it?”

¹⁰He told them, “Just as you enter the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him into the house that he enters. ¹¹Tell the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher says to you, “Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?”’ ¹²He will show you a large, furnished upper room. Make preparations there.” ¹³They went and found things just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover.

¹⁴When the hour had come, Jesus reclined at the table with the twelve apostles. ¹⁵He said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer, ¹⁶for I tell you, I will not eat it again until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.”

¹⁷He took a cup, gave thanks, and said, “Take this and divide it among yourselves, ¹⁸for I tell you, from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.”

¹⁹He took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” ²⁰In the same way, he took the cup after the supper, saying, “This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is being poured out for you.

Hymn of the Day: 417 It Was a Dark and Dismal Night

It was a dark and dismal night

when pow’rs of earth and hell arose

against the Son, our God’s delight,

and friends betrayed him to his foes.

Before the mournful scene began,

he took the bread and blessed and broke.

What love through all his actions ran!

What wondrous words of grace he spoke!

“This is my body, slain for sin;

receive and eat the living food.”

Then took the cup and blessed the wine:

“This is my all-atoning blood.”

“Do this,” he said, “till time shall end,

in mem’ry of your dying friend;

meet at my table and record

the love of your departed Lord.”

Jesus, your feast we celebrate;

we show your death;

we sing your name

till you return and we shall eat

the marriage supper of the Lamb.

Sermon

Offering

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THE GREAT LITANY

Prayer of Approach to God

P: O God the Father, Creator of heaven and earth,

C: Have mercy on us.

P: O God the Son, Redeemer of the world,

C: Have mercy on us.

P: O God the Holy Spirit, advocate and guide,

C: Have mercy on us.

P: Holy, blessed, and glorious Trinity, three persons in one God,

C: Have mercy on us.

Prayer for Deliverance

P: Remember not, Lord Christ, our offenses nor the offenses of our forebears. Spare us, good Lord; spare your people, whom you have redeemed with your precious blood.

C: Spare us, good Lord.

P: From all spiritual blindness; from pride, vainglory, and hypocrisy; from envy, hatred, and malice; and from all lack of charity,

C: Good Lord, deliver us.

P: From all deadly sin and from the deceits of the world, the flesh, and the devil,

C: Good Lord, deliver us.

P: From all false doctrine, heresy, and schism; from hardness of heart and contempt for your Word and your will,

C: Good Lord, deliver us.

P: From earthquake and tempest; from drought, fire, and flood; from civil strife and violence; from war and murder; and from dying suddenly and unprepared,

C: Good Lord, deliver us.

Prayer Recalling Christ’s Saving Work

P: By the mystery of your holy incarnation; by your baptism, fasting, and temptation; and by your proclamation of the kingdom,

C: Good Lord, deliver us.

P: By your bloody sweat and bitter grief, by your cross and suffering, and by your precious death and burial,

C: Good Lord, deliver us.

P: By your mighty resurrection, by your glorious ascension, and by the coming of the Holy Spirit,

C: Good Lord, deliver us.

P: In our times of trouble, in our times of prosperity, in the hour of death, and on the day of judgment,

C: Good Lord, deliver us.

P: Receive our prayers, O Lord our God.

C: Hear us, good Lord.

Prayer for the Church

P: Govern and direct your holy Church, fill it with love and truth, and grant it that unity which is according to your will.

C: Hear us, good Lord.

P: Enlighten all ministers with true knowledge and understanding of your Word, that by their preaching and living they may declare it clearly and show its truth.

C: Hear us, good Lord.

P: Encourage and prosper your servants who spread the gospel in all the world, and send out laborers into the harvest.

C: Hear us, good Lord.

P: Bless and keep your people, that all may find and follow their true vocation and ministry.

C: Hear us, good Lord.

P: Give us hearts to love and revere you, that we may diligently live according to your commandments.

C: Hear us, good Lord.

P: To all your people, give grace to hear and receive your Word and to bring forth the fruits of the Spirit.

C: Hear us, good Lord.

P: Strengthen those who stand firm in the faith, encourage the fainthearted, raise up those who fall, and finally give us the victory.

C: Hear us, good Lord.

Prayer for Our Country

P: Rule the hearts of your servants, the president of the United States, and all others in authority, that they may do justice, love mercy, and walk in the ways of truth.

C: Hear us, good Lord.

P: Bless and defend all who strive for our safety and protection, and shield them in all dangers and adversities.

C: Hear us, good Lord.

P: Grant wisdom and insight to those who govern us and to judges and magistrates the grace to execute justice with mercy.

C: Hear us, good Lord.

Prayer for All People

P: To all nations grant unity, peace, and concord, and to all people give clothing, food, and shelter.

C: Hear us, good Lord.

P: Grant us abundant harvests, strength and skill to conserve the resources of the earth, and wisdom to use them well.

C: Hear us, good Lord.

P: Enlighten with your Spirit all who teach and all who learn.

C: Hear us, good Lord.

P: Come to the help of all who are in danger, necessity, and trouble; protect all who travel by land, air, or water; and show your pity on all prisoners and captives.

C: Hear us, good Lord.

P: Strengthen and preserve all women who are in childbirth and all young children, and comfort the aged, the bereaved, and the lonely.

C: Hear us, good Lord.

P: Defend and provide for the widowed and the orphaned, the refugees and the homeless, the unemployed, and all who are desolate and oppressed.

C: Hear us, good Lord.

P: Heal those who are sick in body or mind, and give skill and compassion to all who care for them.

C: Hear us, good Lord.

P: Grant us true repentance, forgive our sins, and strengthen us by your Holy Spirit to amend our lives according to your Holy Word.

C: Hear us, good Lord.

Concluding Prayer

P: Son of God, we ask you to hear us.

C: Son of God, we ask you to hear us.

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

C: Have mercy on us.

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

C: Have mercy on us.

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

C: Grant us peace.

P: Lord, have mercy on us.

C: Christ, have mercy on us.

P: Lord, have mercy on us.

P: Almighty God, you have given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplication to you, and you have promised through your beloved Son that when two or three are gathered together in his name, you will be with them. Fulfill now, O Lord, our desires and petitions as may be best for us, granting us in this world knowledge of your truth and in the ages to come, life everlasting.

C: Amen.

The Sacrament

The Lord be with you.

And also with you.

Lift up your hearts.

We lift them up to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

It is right to give him thanks and praise.

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 brought the gift of salvation to all people by his death on the tree of the cross so that the devil, who overcame us by a tree, would in turn by a tree be overcome. Therefore, with all the saints on earth and hosts of heaven, we praise your holy name and join their glorious song:

Holy, Holy, Holy

Holy, holy, holy Lord God of heavenly hosts: heav’n and earth are full of your glory.

Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna in the highest.

Blessed is he, blessed is he, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna in the highest.

Prayer of Thanksgiving

We give thanks to you, O God, through your dear Son, Jesus Christ, whom you sent to be our Savior, our Redeemer, and the messenger of your grace. Through him you made all things; in him you are well pleased. He is the incarnate Word, conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. To fulfill your promises, he stretched out his hands on the cross and released from eternal death all who believe in you.

As we remember Jesus’ death and resurrection, we thank you that you have gathered us together to receive your Son’s body and blood. Send us your Spirit, unite us as one, and strengthen our faith so that we may praise you in your Son, Jesus Christ. Through him, we glorify and honor you, O God our Father, with the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Amen.

Lord’s Prayer

Our Father in heaven,

 hallowed be your name,

 your kingdom come,

 your will be done

  on earth as in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

Forgive us our sins,

 as we forgive those

 who sin against us.

Lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil.

For the kingdom, the power,

 and the glory are yours

 now and forever. Amen.

Words of Institution

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 T 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 T 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.”

The peace of the Lord be with you always.

Amen.

O Christ, Lamb of God

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.

Distribution Hymn: 676 Take and Eat

Ref Take and eat, take and eat,
this is my body given up for you.
Take and drink, take and drink,
this is my blood given up for you.

1 I am the Word that spoke and light was made;
I am the seed that died to be reborn;
I am the bread that comes from heav’n above;
I am the vine that fills your cup with joy. (Refrain)

2 I am the way that leads the exile home;
I am the truth that sets the captive free;
I am the life that raises up the dead;
I am your peace, true peace my gift to you. (Refrain)

3 I am the Lamb that takes away your sin;
I am the gate that guards you night and day;
you are my flock: you know the shepherd’s voice;
you are my own: your ransom is my blood. (Refrain)

4 I am the cornerstone that God has laid;
a chosen stone and precious in his eyes;
you are God’s dwelling-place, on me you rest;
like living stones, a temple for God’s praise. (Refrain)

5 I am the light that came into the world;
I am the light that darkness cannot hide;
I am the Morning Star that never sets;
lift up your face, in you my light will shine. (Refrain)

6 I am the first and last, the Living One;
I am the Lord who died that you might live;
I am the bridegroom, this my wedding song;
you are my bride, come to the marriage feast. (Refrain)

Text (sts. 1–6): James Quinn, SJ, 1919–2010; (Ref): Michael Joncas, b. 1951

Text (sts. 1–6): © 1969 James Quinn, SJ, admin. OCP Publications; (Ref): © 1989 GIA Publications, Inc. Used by permission: OneLicense no. 703297

Stripping of the Altar

660 Here, O My Lord, I See You Face to Face

1 Here, O my Lord, I see you face to face;
here would I touch and handle things unseen,
here grasp with firmer hand eternal grace,
and all my weariness upon you lean.

2 This is the hour of banquet and of song;
this is the heav’nly table spread anew.
Here let me feast and, feasting, still prolong
the brief bright hour of fellowship with you.

5 Too soon we rise; the vessels disappear;
the feast, though not the love, is past and gone.
The bread and wine remove, but you are here,
nearer than ever, still my shield and sun.

6 Feast after feast thus comes and passes by,
yet, passing, points to that glad feast above,
giving sweet foretaste of the festal joy,
the Lamb’s great marriage feast of bliss and love.

Text: Horatius Bonar, 1808–1889, abr., alt.

Text: Public domain

Acknowledgments

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