REFRESHMENTS are served after the 8:00am Service only.

TODAY’S HOST: Amy Werner.  NEXT WEEK:  Denise Yoreo.    

FLOWERS ON THE ALTAR are given by St. Paul’s Altar Guild to the glory of God in honor of the Confirmation Class of 2021.

RITE OF CONFIRMATION is today and will take place at the 10:30am Service.

Confirmation Class of 2021:

Eliott William Bieluch:

“Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or

discouraged for the Lord your God is

with you wherever you go.”  

Joshua 1:9

Colby Allen Drown:

“Be strong and courageous! Do not be frightened

or dismayed, for the Lord your God is

with you wherever you go.”

 Joshua 1:9

Brayden Allan Lee Langlais:

“I can do all things through him who

strengthens me.”

Philippians 4:13

DEAR LADIES OF ST. PAUL’S, Would you like to experience the “Beauty of a Simple Life; When Less is More?” On the second Tuesday of the month starting on September 14th from 1:00 to 2:30pm, the Ladies’ Bible Study will resume, and we will be studying that very subject. Come and be part of a beautiful fellowship of ladies where we study God’s Word and pray. Please contact Judy Byrne if you have any questions or comments. And, of course, invite your friends.

COFFEE HOUR VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!  Coffee and tea provided.  Please bring milk/cream and snacks.  Prepackaged snacks are fine.   Sign-up sheet is on the table in the kitchen.  Thank you.

PRAYERS FOR THE BOLDT FAMILIES…Helene Boldt, daughter-in-law of members, Carol and Burt Boldt, is experiencing a life threatening disease and is need of a live kidney donor. For more information on Helene’s condition and how you can help, Carol and Burt ask that you visit her website where you can submit questions and follow her progress:  heleneskidneyquest.life.  Please, spread the word!  Thank you, The Boldt Families.

ELIOTT’S HANDYMAN BUSINESS:  hard working thirteen-year-old for hire.  Will do just about any kind of work outside like gardening, raking, stacking wood, weed whacking, shovel snow, etc…  Client would need to provide tools.  For more information, please call 860-489-7947.  Thank you, Eliott Bieluch

PLEASE CHECK your mailbox. 

A message from Pastor Tim Yeadon and Ruth:

We are overwhelmed by the tremendous show of support for Pastor and his family since his initial hospitalization in April of this year. Throughout the last three months we have really appreciated the cards and messages of Christian encouragement. Your gifts of meals have enabled Ruth to spend more time with Pastor when he was hospitalized, and highly enjoyed by Pastor, Ruth, and her father, Gary. Thank you for all the love that went into the meal preparation! Pastor is home-bound now, with limited visitation, as we pray that he will grow stronger, and eventually progress with the Lord to a necessary liver transplant. Thank you for your continued prayers!

– the Yeadon family –

Confession and Absolution

784 Take My Life and Let It Be                                                             LSB 784

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

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

C  Amen.

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.

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

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                                                                   Ps. 121:5–8; antiphon: Ps. 121:1–2

I lift up my eyes | to the hills.*

From where does my | help come?

My help comes | from the Lord,*

who made | heaven and earth.

The Lord is your | keeper;*

the Lord is your shade on your | right hand.

The sun shall not strike | you by day,*

nor the | moon by night.

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 for- | evermore.

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.

Kyrie                                                                                                  LSB 204

Gloria in Excelsis                                                                                 LSB 204

Salutation and Collect of the Day                                                                   

P  The Lord be with you.

C  And also with you.

P  Let us pray.

Heavenly Father, during His earthly ministry Your Son Jesus healed the sick and raised the dead. By the healing medicine of the Word and Sacraments pour into our hearts such love toward You that we may live eternally; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

C  Amen.

Sit

Old Testament Reading                                                         Lamentations 3:22–33

²²The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;

his mercies never come to an end;

²³they are new every morning;

great is your faithfulness.

²⁴“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,

“therefore I will hope in him.”

²⁵The Lord is good to those who wait for him,

to the soul who seeks him.

²⁶It is good that one should wait quietly

for the salvation of the Lord.

²⁷It is good for a man that he bear

the yoke in his youth.

²⁸Let him sit alone in silence

when it is laid on him;

²⁹let him put his mouth in the dust—

there may yet be hope;

³⁰let him give his cheek to the one who strikes,

and let him be filled with insults.

³¹For the Lord will not

cast off forever,

³²but, though he cause grief, he will have compassion

according to the abundance of his steadfast love;

³³for he does not willingly afflict

or grieve the children of men.

A  This is the Word of the Lord.       

C  Thanks be to God.

Epistle                                                                           2 Corinthians 8:1–9, 13–15

¹We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, ²for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. ³For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own free will, ⁴begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints— ⁵and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us. ⁶Accordingly, we urged Titus that as he had started, so he should complete among you this act of grace. ⁷But as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in our love for you—see that you excel in this act of grace also.

⁸I say this not as a command, but to prove by the earnestness of others that your love also is genuine.

⁹For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich…¹³I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened, but that as a matter of fairness ¹⁴your abundance at the present time should supply their need, so that their abundance may supply your need, that there may be fairness. ¹⁵As it is written, “Whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack.”

A  This is the Word of the Lord.

C  Thanks be to God.

Alleluia and Verse

Holy Gospel                                                                                  Mark 5:21–43

P  The Holy Gospel according to St. Mark, the fifth chapter.

C  Glory to You, O Lord.

²¹ When Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered about him, and he was beside the sea.

²²Then came one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name, and seeing him, he fell at his feet ²³and implored him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well and live.” ²⁴And he went with him.

And a great crowd followed him and thronged about him. ²⁵And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, ²⁶and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. ²⁷She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. ²⁸For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.” ²⁹And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. ³⁰And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my garments?” ³¹And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, ‘Who touched me?’” ³²And he looked around to see who had done it. ³³But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. ³⁴And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”

³⁵While he was still speaking, there came from the ruler’s house some who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?” ³⁶But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.” ³⁷And he allowed no one to follow him except Peter and James and John the brother of James. ³⁸They came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and Jesus saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. ³⁹And when he had entered, he said to them, “Why are you making a commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but sleeping.” ⁴⁰And they laughed at him. But he put them all outside and took the child’s father and mother and those who were with him and went in where the child was. ⁴¹Taking her by the hand he said to her, “Talitha cumi,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.” ⁴²And immediately the girl got up and began walking (for she was twelve years of age), and they were immediately overcome with amazement. ⁴³And he strictly charged them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.

P  This is the Gospel of the Lord.

C  Praise to You, O Christ.

Apostles’ Creed                                                                                    LSB 207

C  I believe in God, the Father Almighty,

     maker of heaven and earth.

And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,

     who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,

     born of the virgin Mary,

     suffered under Pontius Pilate,

     was crucified, died and was buried.

     He descended into hell.

     The third day He rose again from the dead.

     He ascended into heaven

     and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.

     From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,

     the holy Christian Church,

          the communion of saints,

     the forgiveness of sins,

     the resurrection of the body,

     and the life T everlasting. Amen.

Sit

809 Great Is Thy Faithfulness                                                                LSB 809

Sermon – Pastor Eric Wismar

*** Rite of Confirmation ***

(10:30 service only)

Prayer of the Church

Lord’s Prayer                                                                                       LSB 209

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.

Offering – Placed on the altar.

Closing Collect                                                                                             

A  Let us pray.

Lord Jesus Christ, You instituted the office of the public ministry and instructed Your Church to call ministers of Your Word. Having prayed for the guidance of Your Holy Spirit, we have called a pastor, the Rev. Jared Cooksey, to proclaim Your saving Gospel among us. Assist him to recognize the needs of this congregation and the welfare of Your kingdom and, if it be Your will, grant that he accept the call to serve among us. Hear us for Your own sake, as You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

C  Amen.

Benedicamus and Benediction

A  Let us bless the Lord.

C  Thanks be to God.

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.

803 Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee                                                        LSB 803

REFRESHMENTS are served after the 8:00am Service only.

TODAY’S HOST: Deb Eddy & Linda Pekrul.  NEXT WEEK:  Amy Werner.    

PRAYERS FOR THE BOLDT FAMILIES…Helene Boldt, daughter-in-law of members, Carol and Burt Boldt, is experiencing a life threatening disease and is need of a live kidney donor. For more information on Helene’s condition and how you can help, Carol and Burt ask that you visit her website where you can submit questions and follow her progress:  heleneskidneyquest.life.  Please, spread the word!  Thank you, The Boldt Families.

ELIOTT’S HANDYMAN BUSINESS:  hard working thirteen-year-old for hire.  Will do just about any kind of work outside like gardening, raking, stacking wood, weed whacking, shovel snow, etc…  Client would need to provide tools.  For more information, please call 860-489-7947.  Thank you, Eliott Bieluch

COFFEE HOUR VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!  Coffee and tea provided.  Please bring milk/cream and snacks.  Prepackaged snacks are fine.   Sign-up sheet is on the table in the kitchen.  Thank you.

REMINDER:  Sons of Thunder will NOT be collecting cans and plastic on June 27^th.  We will resume Sunday, July 25th. 

REMINDER: Confirmation Sunday is June 27^th.  Rite of Confirmation will take place at the 10:30am Service.  

Confirmation Class of 2021:

Eliott William Bieluch

Colby Allen Drown

Brayden Allan Lee Langlais

DEAR LADIES OF ST. PAUL’S, Would you like to experience the “Beauty of a Simple Life; When Less is More?” On the second Tuesday of the month starting on September 14th from 1:00 to 2:30pm, the Ladies’ Bible Study will resume, and we will be studying that very subject. Come and be part of a beautiful fellowship of ladies where we study God’s Word and pray. Please contact Judy Byrne if you have any questions or comments. And, of course, invite your friends.

Confession and Absolution

728 How Firm a Foundation                                                                 LSB 728

he sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their baptism.

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

C   Amen.

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.

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

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                                                                  Ps. 107:29–32; antiphon: Ps. 107:28

Then they cried to the Lord in their | trouble,*

and he delivered them from | their distress.

He made the | storm be still,*

and the waves of the | sea were hushed.

Then they were glad that the waters were | quiet,*

and he brought them to their desired | haven.

Let them thank the Lord for his | steadfast love,*

for his wondrous works to the chil- | dren of men!

Let them extol him in the congregation of the | people,*

and praise him in the assembly of the | elders.

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.

Kyrie                                                                                                  LSB 204

Gloria in Excelsis                                                                                 LSB 204

Salutation and Collect of the Day                                                                   

P   The Lord be with you.

C   And also with you.

P   Let us pray.

Almighty God, in Your mercy guide the course of this world so that Your Church may joyfully serve You in godly peace and quietness; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

C   Amen.

Old Testament Reading                                                                    Job 38:1–11

¹Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said:

²“Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?

³Dress for action like a man; I will question you, and you make it known to me.

⁴“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding.

⁵Who determined its measurements—surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? ⁶On what were its bases sunk, or who laid its cornerstone,

⁷when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

⁸“Or who shut in the sea with doors when it burst out from the womb,

⁹when I made clouds its garment and thick darkness its swaddling band,

¹⁰and prescribed limits for it and set bars and doors,

¹¹and said, ‘Thus far shall you come, and no farther, and here shall your proud waves be stayed’?

A   This is the Word of the Lord.

C   Thanks be to God.

Epistle                                                                                 2 Corinthians 6:1–13

¹Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. ²For he says,

“In a favorable time I listened to you,

and in a day of salvation I have helped you.”

Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. ³We put no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, ⁴but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, ⁵beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; ⁶by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; ⁷by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; ⁸through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; ⁹as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; ¹⁰as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything.

¹¹We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians; our heart is wide open. ¹²You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted in your own affections. ¹³In return (I speak as to children) widen your hearts also.

A   This is the Word of the Lord.

C   Thanks be to God.

Stand

Alleluia and Verse

Holy Gospel                                                                                  Mark 4:35–41

P   The Holy Gospel according to St. Mark, the fourth chapter.

C   Glory to You, O Lord.

³⁵On that day, when evening had come, [Jesus] said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.”

³⁶And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. ³⁷And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. ³⁸But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” ³⁹And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. ⁴⁰He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” ⁴¹And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even wind and sea obey him?”

P   This is the Gospel of the Lord.

C   Praise to You, O Christ.

Nicene Creed                                                                                      LSB 206

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

752 Be Still, My Soul                                                                            LSB 752

Sermon:  “When Jesus Calms the Storm”   Mark 4:35-41

Stand

Prayer of the Church

Offering – Placed on the altar.

Service of the Sacrament

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                                                                                               LSB 208

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.

In Your righteous judgment You condemned the sin of Adam and Eve, who ate the forbidden fruit, and You justly barred them and all their children from the tree of life.  Yet, in Your great mercy, You promised salvation by a second Adam, Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, and made His cross a life-giving tree for all who trust in Him.

We give You thanks for the redemption You have prepared for us through Jesus Christ.  Grant us Your Holy Spirit that we may faithfully eat and drink of the fruits of His cross and receive the blessings of forgiveness, life, and salvation that come to us in His body and blood.

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

Lord’s Prayer                                                                                       LSB 209

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                                                                                  

Pax Domini                                                                                         LSB 209

P   The peace of the Lord be with you always.

C   Amen.

Agnus Dei                                                                                           LSB 210

Sit

Distribution

739 Precious Lord, Take My Hand                                                         LSB 739

729 I Am Trusting Thee, Lord Jesus                                                       LSB 729

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 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 and Benediction

A   Let us bless the Lord.

C   Thanks be to God.

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.

819 Sing Praise to God, the Highest Good                                              LSB 819

REFRESHMENTS are served after the 8:00am Service only.

TODAY’S HOST: Fellowship Board.  NEXT WEEK:  Deb Eddy.    

PRAYERS FOR THE BOLDT FAMILIES…Helene Boldt, daughter-in-law of members, Carol and Burt Boldt, is experiencing a life threatening disease and is need of a live kidney donor. For more information on Helene’s condition and how you can help, Carol and Burt ask that you visit her website where you can submit questions and follow her progress:  heleneskidneyquest.life.  Please, spread the word!  Thank you, The Boldt Families.

ELIOTT’S HANDYMAN BUSINESS:  hard working thirteen-year-old for hire.  Will do just about any kind of work outside like gardening, raking, stacking wood, weed whacking, shovel snow, etc…  Client would need to provide tools.  For more information, please call 860-489-7947.  Thank you, Eliott Bieluch

COFFEE HOUR VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!  Coffee and tea provided.  Please bring milk/cream and snacks.  Prepackaged snacks are fine.   Sign-up sheet is on the table in the kitchen.  Thank you.

REMINDER:  Sons of Thunder will NOT be collecting cans and plastic on June 27^th.  We will resume Sunday, July 25th. 

Confession and Absolution

901 Open Now Thy Gates of Beauty                                                      LSB 901

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

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

C  Amen.

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.

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

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                                                                      Ps. 92:12–15; antiphon: Ps. 92:1

It is good to give thanks | to the Lord,*

to sing praises to your name, | O Most High.

The righteous flourish like the | palm tree*

and grow like a cedar in | Lebanon.

They are planted in the house | of the Lord;*

they flourish in the courts | of our God.

They still bear fruit in | old age;*

they are ever full of | sap and green,

to declare that the Lord is | upright;*

he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness | in him.

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.

Kyrie                                                                                                  LSB 204

Gloria in Excelsis                                                                                 LSB 204

Salutation and Collect of the Day                                                                   

P  The Lord be with you.

C  And also with you.

P  Let us pray.

Blessed Lord, since You have caused all Holy Scriptures to be written for our learning, grant that we may so hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life; 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

Old Testament Reading                                                              Ezekiel 17:22–24

²²Thus says the Lord God: “I myself will take a sprig from the lofty top of the cedar and will set it out. I will break off from the topmost of its young twigs a tender one, and I myself will plant it on a high and lofty mountain. ²³On the mountain height of Israel will I plant it, that it may bear branches and produce fruit and become a noble cedar. And under it will dwell every kind of bird; in the shade of its branches birds of every sort will nest. ²⁴And all the trees of the field shall know that I am the Lord; I bring low the high tree, and make high the low tree, dry up the green tree, and make the dry tree flourish. I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will do it.”

A  This is the Word of the Lord.

C  Thanks be to God.

Epistle                                                                                 2 Corinthians 5:1–10

¹For we know that if the tent, which is our earthly home, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. ²For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, ³if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked. ⁴For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. ⁵He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.

⁶So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, ⁷for we walk by faith, not by sight. ⁸Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. ⁹So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. ¹⁰For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.

A  This is the Word of the Lord.

C  Thanks be to God.

Stand

Alleluia and Verse

Holy Gospel                                                                                  Mark 4:26–34

P  The Holy Gospel according to St. Mark, the fourth chapter.

C  Glory to You, O Lord.

²⁶And he said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. ²⁷He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how. ²⁸The earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. ²⁹But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”

³⁰And he said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it? ³¹It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown on the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth, ³²yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and puts out large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.”

³³With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it. ³⁴He did not speak to them without a parable, but privately to his own disciples he explained everything.

P  This is the Gospel of the Lord.

C  Praise to You, O Christ.

Apostles’ Creed                                                                                    LSB 207

C  I believe in God, the Father Almighty,

     maker of heaven and earth.

And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,

     who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,

     born of the virgin Mary,

     suffered under Pontius Pilate,

     was crucified, died and was buried.

     He descended into hell.

     The third day He rose again from the dead.

     He ascended into heaven

     and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.

     From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,

     the holy Christian Church,

          the communion of saints,

     the forgiveness of sins,

     the resurrection of the body,

     and the life T everlasting. Amen.

Sit

577 Almighty God, Your Word Is Cast                                                     LSB 577

Sermon:   “The Insignificant Mustard Seed”    Mark 4:26-34

Stand

Prayer of the Church

Lord’s Prayer                                                                                       LSB 209

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.

Offering – placed on the altar.

Closing Collect                                                                                             

A  Let us pray.

Lord Jesus Christ, You instituted the office of the public ministry and instructed Your Church to call ministers of Your Word. Having prayed for the guidance of Your Holy Spirit, we have called a pastor,

the Rev. Jared Adam Cooksey, to proclaim Your saving Gospel among us. Assist him to recognize the needs of this congregation and the welfare of Your kingdom and, if it be Your will, grant that he accept the call to serve among us. Hear us for Your own sake, as You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

C  Amen.

Benedicamus and Benediction

A  Let us bless the Lord.

C  Thanks be to God.

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.

921 On What Has Now Been Sown                                                         LSB 921

REFRESHMENTS are served after the 8:00am Service only.

TODAY’S HOSTESS: Janice. NEXT WEEK:  Fellowship Board.    

>>>PLEASE CHECK your church mailbox. 

PRAYERS FOR THE BOLDT FAMILIES…Helene Boldt, daughter-in-law of members, Carol and Burt Boldt, is experiencing a life threatening disease and is need of a live kidney donor. For more information on Helene’s condition and how you can help, Carol and Burt ask that you visit her website where you can submit questions and follow her progress:  heleneskidneyquest.life.  Please, spread the word!  Thank you, The Boldt Families.

DAUGHTERS OF FAITH will meet Sunday to plant flowers around the church sign. John Burdick will be bringing the flowers and advising us where and what to plant. We will be meeting at our usual time from 2:00-3:30pm with snacks, fellowship, prayer and a devotional. Friends are always invited. Questions: Please conact Judy Byrne.

OUR YOUTH GROUP, Sons of Thunder and Daughters of Faith will be meeting Wednesday, June 9^th from 5:45-7:00pm for pizza provided by Daughters of Faith, and games/activities planned by Sons of Thunder. All are invited to the midweek service. Again, this is a great time to invite your friends. Please RSVP Dale Sheffield, Joe Bieluch, Judy Byrne.

ELIOTT’S HANDYMAN BUSINESS:  hard working thirteen-year-old for hire.  Will do just about any kind of work outside like gardening, raking, stacking wood, weed whacking, shovel snow, etc…  Client would need to provide tools.  For more information, please call 860-489-7947.  Thank you, Eliott Bieluch

SUNDAY, JUNE 13th, immediately following BOTH SERVICES, the Fellowship Board will host a PARSONAGE WALK-THROUGH!  Cheryl Lowman will be taking 8 to 10 people at a time on a quick walk-through.  After first service, those attending Bible Study will walk-through first.   Others can enjoy fellowship and goodies outside the front of the Parsonage until the next group goes through, weather permitting.  Please COME and SEE our church Parsonage, all spiffed up by so many; done in joyous anticipation of who God will bring to serve as our Pastor!  

SPECIAL VOTER’S ASSEMBLY MEETING, SUNDAY at 1:00pm, which will be to decide if we should extend a call for a new pastor.  This meeting will be both a Zoom meeting and in person. 

THANK YOU for serving the youth of St. Paul’s this past year.  Your efforts are much appreciated!  Sunday school volunteers this year:

Natalie Jury

Emily Jury

Sadie Bieluch

Cheyenne Langlais

Mason Langlais

Confession and Absolution

711 Savior, like a Shepherd Lead Us                                                      LSB 711

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

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

C  Amen.

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.

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

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                                                                         Ps. 28:7–9; antiphon: Ps. 28:6

Blessèd | be the Lord!*

For he has heard the voice of my pleas for | mercy.

The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and | I am helped;*

my heart exults, and with my song I give | thanks to him.

The Lord is the strength of his | people;*

he is the saving refuge of his a- | nointed.

Oh, save your people and bless your | heritage!*

Be their shepherd and carry them for- | ever.

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.

Kyrie                                                                                                  LSB 204

Gloria in Excelsis                                                                                 LSB 204

Salutation and Collect of the Day                                                                   

P  The Lord be with you.

C  And also with you.

P  Let us pray.

Almighty and eternal God, Your Son Jesus triumphed over the prince of demons and freed us from bondage to sin. Help us to stand firm against every assault of Satan, and enable us always to do Your will; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

C  Amen.

Sit

Old Testament Reading                                                                 Genesis 3:8–15

⁸And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. ⁹But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” ¹⁰And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” ¹¹He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” ¹²The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” ¹³Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

¹⁴The Lord God said to the serpent,

“Because you have done this,

cursed are you above all livestock

and above all beasts of the field;

on your belly you shall go,

and dust you shall eat

all the days of your life.

¹⁵I will put enmity between you and the woman,

and between your offspring and her offspring;

he shall bruise your head,

and you shall bruise his heel.”

A  This is the Word of the Lord.       C       Thanks be to God.

Epistle                                                                              2 Corinthians 4:13—5:1

¹³Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, “I believed, and so I spoke,” we also believe, and so we also speak, ¹⁴knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence. ¹⁵For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.

¹⁶So we do not lose heart. Though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. ¹⁷For this slight momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, ¹⁸as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

¹For we know that if the tent, which is our earthly home, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

A  This is the Word of the Lord.       C       Thanks be to God.

Stand

Alleluia and Verse

Holy Gospel                                                                                  Mark 3:20–35

P  The Holy Gospel according to St. Mark, the third chapter.

C  Glory to You, O Lord.

²⁰Then [Jesus] went home, and the crowd gathered again, so that they could not even eat.

²¹And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for they were saying, “He is out of his mind.”

²²And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “by the prince of demons he casts out the demons.” ²³And he called them to him and said to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan? ²⁴If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. ²⁵And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. ²⁶And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but is coming to an end. ²⁷But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. Then indeed he may plunder his house.

²⁸“Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter, ²⁹but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”— ³⁰for they had said, “He has an unclean spirit.”

³¹And his mother and his brothers came, and standing outside they sent to him and called him. ³²And a crowd was sitting around him, and they said to him, “Your mother and your brothers are outside, seeking you.” ³³And he answered them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” ³⁴And looking about at those who sat around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! ³⁵Whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.”

P  This is the Gospel of the Lord.

C  Praise to You, O Christ.

Nicene Creed                                                                                      LSB 206

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

735 Have No Fear, Little Flock                                                             LSB 735

Sermon:    “What Are You Afraid Of?”   Genesis 3: 8-15

Stand

Prayer of the Church

Offering – Placed on the altar.

Service of the Sacrament

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                                                                                               LSB 208

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.

In Your righteous judgment You condemned the sin of Adam and Eve, who ate the forbidden fruit, and You justly barred them and all their children from the tree of life.  Yet, in Your great mercy, You promised salvation by a second Adam, Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, and made His cross a life-giving tree for all who trust in Him.

We give You thanks for the redemption You have prepared for us through Jesus Christ.  Grant us Your Holy Spirit that we may faithfully eat and drink of the fruits of His cross and receive the blessings of forgiveness, life, and salvation that come to us in His body and blood.

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

Lord’s Prayer                                                                                       LSB 209

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                                                                                  

Pax Domini                                                                                         LSB 209

P  The peace of the Lord be with you always.

C  Amen.

Agnus Dei                                                                                           LSB 210

Sit

Distribution

633 At the Lamb’s High Feast We Sing                                          LSB 633 sts. 1–4

733 O God, Our Help in Ages Past                                                LSB 733 sts. 1–6

5          Time, like an ever-rolling stream,
    Soon bears us all away;
We fly forgotten as a dream
    Dies at the op’ning day.

Stand

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 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 and Benediction

A  Let us bless the Lord.

C  Thanks be to God.

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.

790 Praise to the Lord, the Almighty                                                     LSB 790

        

PRAYERS FOR THE BOLDT FAMILIES…Helene Boldt, daughter-in-law of members, Carol and Burt Boldt, is experiencing a life threatening disease and is need of a live kidney donor. For more information on Helene’s condition and how you can help, Carol and Burt ask that you visit her website where you can submit questions and follow her progress:  heleneskidneyquest.life.  Please, spread the word!  Thank you, The Boldt Families.

DAUGHTERS OF FAITH will be meeting June 6th to plant flowers around the church sign. John Burdick will be bringing the flowers and advising us where and what to plant. We will be meeting at our usual time from 2:00-3:30pm with snacks, fellowship, prayer and a devotional. Friends are always invited. Questions: Please contact Judy Byrne.

OUR YOUTH GROUP, Sons of Thunder and Daughters of Faith will be meeting Wednesday, June 9^th from 5:45-7:00pm for pizza provided by Daughters of Faith, and games/activities planned by Sons of Thunder. All are invited to the midweek service. Again, this is a great time to invite your friends. Please RSVP in church to Dale Sheffield, Joe Bieluch, or Judy Byrne.

SUNDAY, JUNE 13th, immediately following BOTH SERVICES, the Fellowship Board will host a PARSONAGE WALK-THROUGH!  Cheryl Lowman will be taking 8 to 10 people at a time on a quick walk-through.  After first service, those attending Bible Study will walk-through first.   Others can enjoy fellowship and goodies outside the front of the Parsonage until the next group goes through, weather permitting.  Please COME and SEE our church Parsonage, all spiffed up by so many; done in joyous anticipation of who God will bring to serve as our Pastor!  

SPECIAL VOTER’S ASSEMBLY MEETING, June 6, 2021, at 1:00pm, which will be to decide if we should extend a call for a new pastor.  This meeting will be both a Zoom meeting and in person.  More information will follow. 

ELIOTT’S HANDYMAN BUSINESS:  hard working thirteen-year-old for hire.  Will do just about any kind of work outside like gardening, raking, stacking wood, weed whacking, shovel snow, etc…  Client would need to provide tools.  For more information, please see Eliott in church. Thank you!

Confession and Absolution

507 Holy, Holy, Holy                                                                   LSB 507 sts. 1–4

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

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

C  Amen.

P  Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.

P  Our help is in the name of the Lord,

C  who made heaven and earth.

P  I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,

C  and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.

Silence for reflection on God’s Word and for self-examination.

P  O almighty God, merciful Father,

C  I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.

P  Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.

C  Amen.

Introit                                                                Ps. 16:8–11; antiphon: Liturgical Text

Blessèd be the Holy Trinity and the undivided | Unity.*

Let us give glory to him because he has shown his mer- | cy to us.

I have set the Lord always be- | fore me;*

because he is at my right hand, I shall not be | shaken.

Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being re- | joices;*

my flesh also | dwells secure.

For you will not abandon my soul | to Sheol,*

or let your holy one see cor- | ruption.

You make known to me the | path of life;*

in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures for- | evermore.

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.

Kyrie                                                                                                  LSB 186

Gloria in Excelsis                                                                                 LSB 187

Salutation and Collect of the Day

P  The Lord be with you.

C  And with thy spirit.

P  Let us pray.

Almighty and everlasting God, You have given us grace to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity by the confession of a true faith and to worship the Unity in the power of the Divine Majesty. Keep us steadfast in this faith and defend us from all adversities; for You, O Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, live and reign, one God, now and forever.

C  Amen.

Sit

Old Testament Reading                                                                    Isaiah 6:1–8

¹In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. ²Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. ³And one called to another and said:

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;

the whole earth is full of his glory!”

⁴And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. ⁵And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”

⁶Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. ⁷And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.”

⁸And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.”

A  This is the Word of the Lord.

C  Thanks be to God.

Second Reading                                                                        Acts 2:14a, 22–36

¹⁴But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them, “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words.

²²“Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— ²³this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. ²⁴God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. ²⁵For David says concerning him,

“‘I saw the Lord always before me,

for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken;

²⁶therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced;

my flesh also will dwell in hope.

²⁷For you will not abandon my soul to Hades,

or let your Holy One see corruption.

²⁸You have made known to me the paths of life;

you will make me full of gladness with your presence.’

²⁹“Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. ³⁰Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, ³¹he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. ³²This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. ³³Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. ³⁴For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says,

“‘The Lord said to my Lord,

Sit at my right hand,

³⁵until I make your enemies your footstool.’

³⁶Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”

A  This is the Word of the Lord.

C  Thanks be to God.

Stand

Alleluia and Verse

Holy Gospel                                                                                    John 3:1–17

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

C  Glory be to Thee, O Lord.

¹Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. ²This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” ³Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” ⁴Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” ⁵Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. ⁶That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. ⁷Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ ⁸The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

⁹Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” ¹⁰Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things? ¹¹Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony. ¹²If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? ¹³No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. ¹⁴And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, ¹⁵that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.

¹⁶[Jesus said:] “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

¹⁷For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

P  This is the Gospel of the Lord.

C  Praise be to Thee, O Christ.

Athanasian Creed                                                                                                                                      LSB 319

C   Whoever desires to be saved must, above all, hold the catholic faith.

Whoever does not keep it whole and undefiled will without doubt perish eternally.

And the catholic faith is this,

that we worship one God in Trinity and Trinity in Unity, neither confusing the persons nor dividing the substance.

For the Father is one person, the Son is another, and the Holy Spirit is another.

But the Godhead of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit is one: the glory equal, the majesty coeternal.

Such as the Father is, such is the Son, and such is the Holy Spirit:

the Father uncreated, the Son uncreated, the Holy Spirit uncreated;

the Father infinite, the Son infinite, the Holy Spirit infinite;

the Father eternal, the Son eternal, the Holy Spirit eternal.

And yet there are not three Eternals, but one Eternal,

just as there are not three Uncreated or three Infinites, but one Uncreated and one Infinite.

In the same way, the Father is almighty, the Son almighty, the Holy Spirit almighty;

and yet there are not three Almighties, but one Almighty.

So the Father is God, the Son is God, the Holy Spirit is God;

and yet there are not three Gods, but one God.

So the Father is Lord, the Son is Lord, the Holy Spirit is Lord;

and yet there are not three Lords, but one Lord.

Just as we are compelled by the Christian truth to acknowledge each distinct person as God and Lord, so also are we prohibited by the catholic religion to say that there are three Gods or Lords.

The Father is not made nor created nor begotten by anyone.

The Son is neither made nor created, but begotten of the Father alone.

The Holy Spirit is of the Father and of the Son, neither made nor created nor begotten, but proceeding.

Thus, there is one Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three Sons; one Holy Spirit, not three Holy Spirits.

And in this Trinity none is before or after another; none is greater or less than another;

but the whole three persons are coeternal with each other and coequal, so that in all things, as has been stated above, the Trinity in Unity and Unity in Trinity is to be worshiped.

Therefore, whoever desires to be saved must think thus about the Trinity.

But it is also necessary for everlasting salvation that one faithfully believe the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Therefore, it is the right faith that we believe and confess that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is at the same time both God and man.

He is God, begotten from the substance of the Father before all ages; and He is man, born from the substance of His mother in this age:

perfect God and perfect man, composed of a rational soul and human flesh;

equal to the Father with respect to His divinity, less than the Father with respect to His humanity.

Although He is God and man, He is not two, but one Christ:

one, however, not by the conversion of the divinity into flesh, but by the assumption of the humanity into God;

one altogether, not by confusion of substance, but by unity of person.

For as the rational soul and flesh is one man, so God and man is one Christ,

who suffered for our salvation, descended into hell, rose again the third day from the dead,

ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father, God Almighty, from whence He will come to judge the living and the dead.

At His coming all people will rise again with their bodies and give an account concerning their own deeds.

And those who have done good will enter into eternal life, and those who have done evil into eternal fire.

This is the catholic faith; whoever does not believe it faithfully and firmly cannot be saved.

Sit

571 God Loved the World So That He Gave                                            LSB 571

Sermon:  “How Can These Things Be?”    John 3: 1-17

Stand

Prayer of the Church

Lord’s Prayer                                                                                       LSB 196

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.

Offertory                                                                                            LSB 192

Offering – Placed on the altar.

Closing Collect

A  Let us pray.

O Gracious Father, You led Your holy apostles to ordain ministers for the proclamation of Your Word and the faithful administration of the Sacraments of Christ. Grant to this congregation the guidance of the Holy Spirit to choose a suitable pastor according to Your will for the blessing of Your Church in this place; through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

C  Amen.

Salutation and Benedicamus

Benediction                                                                                        LSB 202

506 Glory Be to God the Father                                                            LSB 506