Blog

Holy Trinity

Prelude

“Holy, Holy”
Jimmy Owens

Gathering

Confession and Forgiveness

Please stand as you are able. 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 ☩ Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

C:  Amen.

P:  Almighty God, to whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid: cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you and worthily magnify your holy name, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

C:  Amen.

P:  If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. But if we confess our sins, God who is faithful and just will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Please kneel or stand as you are able. Silence is kept for reflection.

P:  Most merciful God,

C:  we confess that we are in bondage to sin and cannot free ourselves. We have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. For the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in your will and walk in your ways, to the glory of your holy name. Amen.

P:  In the mercy of almighty God, Jesus Christ was given to die for us, and for his sake God forgives us all our sins. As a called and ordained minister of the Church of Christ, and by his authority, I therefore declare to you the entire forgiveness of all your sins, in the name of the Father, and of the ☩ Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

C:  Amen.

Please stand as you are able.

Entrance Hymn #165 (green hymnal)

“Holy, Holy, Holy”

1  Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to thee.
Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty!
God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!

2  Holy, holy, holy! All the saints adore thee,
casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;
cherubim and seraphim falling down before thee,
which wert and art and evermore shalt be.

3  Holy, holy, holy! Though the darkness hide thee,
though the eye made blind by sin thy glory may not see,
only thou art holy; there is none beside thee,
perfect in pow’r, in love and purity.

4  Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
All thy works shall praise thy name in earth and sky and sea.
Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty!
God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!

Greeting

P:  The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

C:  And also with you.

Kyrie

♫ WOV Setting 4
(blue hymnal, p. 12)

L:  In peace, let us pray to the Lord.

C:  Lord, have mercy.

L:  For the peace from above, and for our salvation, let us pray to the Lord.

C:  Lord, have mercy.

L:  For the peace of the whole world, for the well-being of the Church of God, and for the unity of all, let us pray to the Lord.

C:  Lord, have mercy.

L:  For this holy house, and for all who offer here their worship and praise, let us pray to the Lord.

C:  Lord, have mercy.

L:  Help, save, comfort, and defend us, gracious Lord.

C:  Amen.

Hymn of Praise

♫ WOV Setting 4
(blue hymnal, p. 15)

This is the feast of victory for our God. Alleluia, alleluia.

Worthy is Christ, the Lamb who was slain, whose blood set us free to be people of God.
Power, riches, wisdom, and strength, and honor and blessing and glory are his.
This is the feast of victory for our God. Alleluia, alleluia.

Sing with all the people of God, and join in the hymn of all creation:
Blessing and honor, glory and might to God and the Lamb forever. Amen.
This is the feast of victory for our God. Alleluia, alleluia.

For the Lamb, the Lamb who was slain has begun his reign. Alleluia.

This is the feast of victory for our God. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. Amen.

Prayer of the Day

P:  The Lord be with you.

C:  And also with you.

P:  Let us pray.
Almighty Creator and ever-living God: we worship your glory, eternal Three-in-One, and we praise your power, majestic One-in-Three. Keep us steadfast in this faith, defend us in all adversity, and bring us at last into your presence, where you live in endless joy and love, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

C:  Amen.

The Word

Blessing of the Lector

P:  Let us pray.
Gracious God, we do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from you. Bless Sherry, who will read to us the scriptures. Make us hunger for the Word of life, Jesus Christ our Lord.

C:  Amen.

Please be seated.

First Lesson: Genesis 1:1–2:4a

¹ In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, ² the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. ³ Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. ⁴ And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. ⁵ God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.
 ⁶ And God said, “Let there be a dome in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” ⁷ So God made the dome and separated the waters that were under the dome from the waters that were above the dome. And it was so. ⁸ God called the dome Sky. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day.
 ⁹ And God said, “Let the waters under the sky be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so. ¹⁰ God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good. ¹¹ Then God said, “Let the earth put forth vegetation: plants yielding seed, and fruit trees of every kind on earth that bear fruit with the seed in it.” And it was so. ¹² The earth brought forth vegetation: plants yielding seed of every kind, and trees of every kind bearing fruit with the seed in it. And God saw that it was good. ¹³ And there was evening and there was morning, the third day.
 ¹⁴ And God said, “Let there be lights in the dome of the sky to separate the day from the night; and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years, ¹⁵ and let them be lights in the dome of the sky to give light upon the earth.” And it was so. ¹⁶ God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars. ¹⁷ God set them in the dome of the sky to give light upon the earth, ¹⁸ to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. ¹⁹ And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day.
 ²⁰ And God said, “Let the waters bring forth swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the dome of the sky.” ²¹ So God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, of every kind, with which the waters swarm, and every winged bird of every kind. And God saw that it was good. ²² God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” ²³ And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day.
 ²⁴ And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures of every kind: cattle and creeping things and wild animals of the earth of every kind.” And it was so. ²⁵ God made the wild animals of the earth of every kind, and the cattle of every kind, and everything that creeps upon the ground of every kind. And God saw that it was good.
 ²⁶ Then God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.”
 ²⁷ So God created humankind in his image,
  in the image of God he created them;
  male and female he created them.
²⁸ God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.” ²⁹ God said, “See, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food. ³⁰ And to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so. ³¹ God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.
 ^2:1 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all their multitude. ² And on the seventh day God finished the work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all the work that he had done. ³ So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all the work that he had done in creation.
 ^4a These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created.

  The word of the Lord.

C:  Thanks be to God.

Psalmody

“O Lord Our Lord Your Greatness” (Psalm 8)

Refrain (All)
O Lord our Lord Your greatness
Is seen in all the world
Your praise we sing to heaven
Your greatness in all the world

Leader
When I look at the sky
Which You have made
And the moon and the stars
In their places
When I think of all people ev’rywhere
And how You must care for me

Refrain (All)

Leader
You have made us just less
Than only You
And crowned us with glory and honor
And appointed us over all things too
Your greatness is ev’rywhere

Refrain (All)

Second Lesson: 2 Corinthians 13:11-13

Paul writes: ¹¹ Finally, brothers and sisters, farewell. Put things in order, listen to my appeal, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. ¹² Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the saints greet you.
 ¹³ The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with all of you.

  The word of the Lord.

C:  Thanks be to God.

Please stand as you are able.

Gospel Acclamation

♫ WOV Setting 4
(blue hymnal, p. 17)

Alleluia. Lord, to whom shall we go?
You have the words of eternal life. Alleluia.

Gospel: Matthew 28:16-20

P:  The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the 28th chapter.

C:  Glory to you, O Lord.

¹⁶ Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. ¹⁷ When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. ¹⁸ And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

P:  The Gospel of the Lord.

C:  Praise to you, O Christ.

Please be seated.

Children’s Sermon

Sermon

Silence for reflection and meditation.

Hymn of the Day #400 (green hymnal)

“God, Whose Almighty Word”

Please stand as you are able.

The Athanasian Creed

A:  Let us confess our common faith with all Christians throughout time and place, using the words of the Athanasian Creed.

Prayers of Intercession

A:  Let us pray for the whole people of God in Christ Jesus, and for all people according to their needs.

After each petition:

A:  Lord, in your mercy,

C:  Hear our prayer.

After the last petition:

A:  Into your hands, O Lord, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in your mercy; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

C:  Amen.

The Peace

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

C:  And also with you.

The ministers and congregation may greet one another with a gesture of peace.

Please remain standing for the offertory.

Invitation to Offering

A:  Since we know from Psalm 8 that God has crowned us with glory and honor by making us rule over the works of his hands, let us give to God what he has first given us by offering our money so that all people may know how majestic God’s name is in all the earth.

Offertory

♫ WOV Setting 4
(blue hymnal, p. 21)

Let the vineyards be fruitful, Lord,
fill to the brim our cup of blessing.
Gather a harvest from the seeds that were sown,
that we may be fed, we may be fed with the bread of life.
Gather the hopes and the dreams of all;
unite them with the prayers we offer now.
Grace our table with your presence,
and give us a foretaste of the feast to come.

Offertory Prayer

A:  Let us pray.

C:  Blessed are you, O Lord our God, maker of all things. Through your goodness you have blessed us with these gifts. With them we offer ourselves to your service and dedicate our lives to the care and redemption of all that you have made, for the sake of him who gave himself for us, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Meal

The Great Thanksgiving

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 indeed right and salutary that we should at all times and in all places offer thanks and praise to you, O Lord, holy Father, almighty and everliving God. You have revealed your glory as the glory also of your Son and of the Holy Spirit: three persons, equal in majesty, undivided in splendor, yet one Lord, one God, ever to be adored in your everlasting glory. And so, with the Church on earth and the hosts of heaven, we praise your name and join their unending hymn:

Sanctus

♫ WOV Setting 4
(blue hymnal, p. 22)

Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of pow’r and might:
Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.

P:  You are indeed holy, O God, the fountain of all holiness; you bring light from darkness, life from death, speech from silence. We worship you for our lives and for the world you give us. We thank you for the new world to come and for the love that will rule all in all. We praise you for the grace shown to Israel, your chosen, the people of your promise: the rescue from Egypt, the gift of the promised land, the memory of the ancestors, the homecoming from exile, and the prophets’ words that will not be in vain. In all this we bless you for your only-begotten Son, who fulfilled and will fulfill all your promises.

  In the night in which he was betrayed, our Lord Jesus took bread, and gave thanks; broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying: Take and eat; this is my body, given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me.

  Again, after supper, he took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it for all to drink, saying: This cup is the new covenant in my blood, shed for you and for all people for the forgiveness of sin. Do this for the remembrance of me.

  For as often as we eat of this bread and drink from this cup we proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

♫ WOV Setting 4
(blue hymnal, p. 24)

C:  Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.

P:  Therefore, O God, with this bread and cup we remember the incarnation of your Son: his human birth and the covenant he made with us. We remember the sacrifice of his life: his eating with outcasts and sinners, and his acceptance of death. But chiefly we remember his rising from the tomb, his ascension to the seat of power, and his sending of the holy and life-giving Spirit. We cry out for the resurrection of our lives, when Christ will come again in beauty and power to share with us the great and promised feast.

C:  Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

P:  Send now, we pray, your Holy Spirit, that we and all who share in this bread and cup may be united in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, may enter the fullness of the kingdom of heaven, and may receive our inheritance with all your saints in light.

C:  Amen. Come, Holy Spirit.

P:  Join our prayers with those of your servants of every time and every place, and unite them with the ceaseless petitions of our great high priest until he comes as victorious Lord of all. Through him, with him, in him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all honor and glory is yours, almighty Father, now and forever.

C:  Amen, amen, amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

P:  Lord, remember us in your kingdom, and teach us to pray:

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.

Invitation to Communion

P:  All people are called to Christ’s table. Come, eat what is good.

Please be seated.

Agnus Dei

♫ WOV Setting 4
(blue hymnal, p. 25)

Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world;
have mercy on us, have mercy on us, have mercy.
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world;
have mercy on us, have mercy on us, have mercy.
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world;
grant us peace.

Communion

P:  The Body of Christ, broken for you.

  The Blood of Christ, shed for you.

Those who wish to commune at the altar rail may either bring forward their individual Communion kit, or receive the wafer and wine/grape juice by intinction (dipping) from the Communion Ministers, when they are directed forward by the usher. Those who wish to commune in their seat with their individual Communion kit may remain seated.

Communion Hymn #710 (blue hymnal)

“One Bread, One Body”

Refrain
One bread, one body, one Lord of all;
one cup of blessing which we bless,
and we, though many throughout the earth,
we are one body in this one Lord.

1  Gentile or Jew, servant or free,
woman or man, no more. Refrain

2  Many the gifts, many the works,
one in the Lord of all. Refrain

3  Grain for the fields, scattered and grown,
gathered to one for all. Refrain

Table Blessing

P:  The body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ strengthen you and keep you in his grace.

C:  Amen.

Post-Communion Canticle

♫ WOV Setting 4
(blue hymnal, p. 27)

Thankful hearts and voices raise; tell everyone what God has done.
Let all who seek the Lord rejoice, rejoice and bear Christ’s holy name.
Send us, O God, with your promises, and lead us forth in joy
with shouts of thanksgiving. Alleluia, alleluia.

Post-Communion Prayer

A:  Let us pray.
Pour out upon us the spirit of your love, O Lord, and unite the wills of those whom you have fed with one heavenly food; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

C:  Amen.

Sending

Announcements for God’s Mission in the World

Please stand as you are able.

Blessing

P:  Almighty God, Father, ☩ Son, and Holy Spirit, bless you now and forever.

C:  Amen.

Closing Hymn #535 (green hymnal)

“Holy God, We Praise Your Name”

Dismissal

A:  Go in peace. Serve the Lord.

C:  Thanks be to God.

Postlude

“How Majestic is Your Name”
Michael W. Smith

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Worship Leaders

The Rev. Emily Beckering, Pastor
Kris Keith, Music Director
Kate Wollenburg, Organist
Nancy Erbeck, Assisting Minister
Sherry Bronner, Reader
Teagan Cathcart, Acolyte
Kathryn Keith, Book Bearer

Upcoming Events

Copyright Notices

Holy Holy: Text and music by Jimmy Owens © 1979 Bud John Songs, Inc. (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)

O Lord Our Lord Your Greatness: Text and music by Handt Hanson © 1991 Changing Church Forum, Inc.

God, Whose Almighty Word: Arr. © 1978 Lutheran Book of Worship, admin. Augsburg Fortress.

One Bread, One Body: Text and music © 1978 John B. Foley, SJ and OCP Publications, 5536 NE Hassalo, Portland, OR 97213. All rights reserved. Used with permission.

How Majestic Is Your Name: Text and music by Michael W. Smith © 1981 Meadowgreen Music Company (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)

Hymns/anthems: Music reprinted and streamed by permission under ONE LICENSE #A‐726103 and CCLI Licenses #21045423 and #21045416. All rights reserved.

Liturgical texts and service music: From SundaysandSeasons.com. Copyright © 2023 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission under Augsburg Fortress Liturgies Annual License #SAS010308.