Order of Worship - May 17, 2020, 10:30 a.m.

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SERVICE OF THE WORD

St. Stephen Lutheran Church

May 17, 2020 – The Sixth Sunday of Easter

OPENING MUSIC 

                                    Come Down, O Love Divine              John Ferguson

                                    Come, Thou Almighty King          I. Richard Proulx

                                                                                                                        II. David Cherwien

HYMN                       Come, Thou Almighty King        

Lutheran Book of Worship 522

1              Come, thou almighty King,

                Help us thy name to sing;

                Help us to praise;

                Father, all-glorious,

                O’er all victorious,

                Come and reign over us,

                Ancient of Days.

2             Come, thou incarnate Word,

                Gird on thy mighty sword;

                Our prayer attend.

                Come and thy people bless,

                And give thy word success,

                And let thy righteousness

                On us descend.

3              Come, holy Comforter,

                Thy sacred witness bear

                In this glad hour!

                Thou, who almighty art,

                Now rule in every heart,

                And ne’er from us depart,

                Spirit of pow’r.

4             To thee, great One in Three,

                Eternal praises be

                Hence evermore!

                Thy sov’reign majesty

                May we in glory see,

                And to eternity

                love and adore!

DIALOG

Alleluia! Christ is risen!

He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

Holy is the Lord, the Almighty,

            He was, he is, and he is to come.

He is worthy of glory and honor and power.

            He created all things. 

By his will they came to be.

Worthy is Christ, the Lamb who was slain;

            worthy to take the scroll and break its seals.

By his blood he purchased for God

            people of every race and tongue,

of every folk and nation.

Christ made of them a kingdom

            and priests to serve our God.

And they shall reign on earth forever.

            Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

Alleluia! Christ is risen!            

He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

APOSTLES’ CREED

God has made us his people through our Baptism into Christ. Living together in trust and hope, we confess our faith.

                I believe in God, the Father almighty,

                        creator of heaven and earth.

           

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.

                        He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit

                                    and born of the virgin Mary.

                        He suffered under Pontius Pilate,

                                    was crucified, died, and was buried.

                        He descended into hell.

                        On the third day he rose again.

                        He ascended into heaven,

                        and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

                        He will come again to judge the living and the dead.

           

I believe in the Holy Spirit,

                        the holy catholic Church,

                        the communion of saints,

                        the forgiveness of sins,

                        the resurrection of the body,

                        and the life everlasting. Amen

Introit  – Psalm 119:89-93; Antiphon: Ps. 119:105

                                               

Your word is a lamp | to my feet*

                and a light | to my path.

Forever, O | Lord, your word*

            is firmly fixed | in the heavens.

Your faithfulness endures to all | gen - er - ations;*

            you established the earth, and | it stands fast.

By your appointment they | stand this day,*

            for all things | are your servants.

If your law had not been | my delight,*

            I would have perished in | my af - fliction.

I will never for - | get your precepts,*

            because by them you have gi - | ven me life.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the | Ho-ly Spirit;*

            as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for- | ev-er.

      Amen

Your word is a lamp | to my feet,*

            and a light | to my path.

PRAYER OF THE DAY

The Lord be with you.

And also with you.

Let us pray.

O God, from whom all good things come: Lead us by the inspiration of your Spirit to think those things which are right, and by your goodness help us to do them; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Amen

READING      Acts 17:22-31

²²Paul stood in front of the Areopagus and said, “Athenians, I see how extremely religious you are in every way. ²³For as I went through the city and looked carefully at the objects of your worship, I found among them an altar with the inscription, ‘To an unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. ²⁴The God who made the world and everything in it, he who is Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in shrines made by human hands, ²⁵nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mortals life and breath and all things. ²⁶From one ancestor he made all nations to inhabit the whole earth, and he allotted the times of their existence and the boundaries of the places where they would live, ²⁷so that they would search for God and perhaps grope for him and find him—though indeed he is not far from each one of us. ²⁸For ‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said,
 ‘For we too are his offspring.’
²⁹Since we are God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the deity is like gold, or silver, or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of mortals. ³⁰While God has overlooked the times of human ignorance, now he commands all people everywhere to repent, ³¹because he has fixed a day on which he will have the world judged in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed, and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”

The Word of the Lord.                                                                      

Thanks be to God.

PSALM 66:7-18

Be joyful in God, all you lands.

⁷ Bless our | God, you peoples;*

                make the voice of his praise | to be heard,

⁸ who holds our | souls in life,*

                and will not allow our | feet to slip.

⁹ For you, O | God, have proved us;*

            you have tried us just as sil- | ver is tried.

¹⁰ You brought us in- | to the snare;*

            you laid heavy burdens up- | on our backs.

¹¹ You let enemies ride over our heads;

we went through | fire and water,*

                but you brought us out into a place | of refreshment.

¹² I will enter your house with burnt-offerings

and will pay | you my vows,*

                which I promised with my lips

and spoke with my mouth when I | was in trouble.

¹³ I will offer you sacrifices of fat beasts with the | smoke of rams;*

            I will give you ox- | en and goats.

¹⁴ Come and listen, all you | who fear God,*

            and I will tell you what he has | done for me.

¹⁵ I called out to him | with my mouth,*

                and his praise was | on my tongue.

¹⁶ If I had found evil | in my heart,*

                the Lord would | not have heard me;

¹⁷ but in truth | God has heard me;*

            he has attended to the voice | of my prayer.

¹⁸ Blessed be God, who has not reject- | ed my prayer,*

            nor withheld his | love from me.                                     

Be joyful in God, all you lands.

Gospel                     John 14:15-21

                                           

The Holy Gospel according to St. John.

[Jesus said to the disciples:] ¹⁵“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. ¹⁶And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. ¹⁷This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you.
  ¹⁸“I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. ¹⁹In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. ²⁰On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. ²¹They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

SERMON                                          

HYMN                                    Come Down, O Love Divine

Lutheran Book of Worship 508

1              Come down, O Love divine;

                seek thou this soul of mine

                and visit it with thine own ardor glowing;

                O Comforter, draw near;

                within my heart appear

                and kindle it, thy holy flame bestowing.

2             Oh, let it freely burn,

                till worldly passions turn

                to dust and ashes in its heat consuming;

                and let thy glorious light

                shine ever on my sight,

                and clothe me round, the while my path illuming.

3              Let holy charity

                mine outward vesture be,

                and lowliness become mine inner clothing--

                true lowliness of heart,

                which takes the humbler part,

                and o’er its own shortcomings weeps with loathing.

4             And so the yearning strong,

                with which the soul will long,

                shall far outpass the pow’r of human telling;

                no soul can guess his grace

                till it become the place

                where in the Holy Spirit makes his dwelling.

Text: Bianco da Siena, d. 1434; tr. Richard F. Littledale, 1833-1890

PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH

Rejoicing in the resurrection of our Lord, let us pray for the whole people of God in Christ Jesus, and for all people according to their needs.

Silence is kept.

O God, your Son promised the disciples that the Holy Spirit would abide with them forever. Stir up your Spirit of Truth in your whole Church and in this congregation, that we may be your witnesses in the world. Lord, in your mercy,

hear our prayer.

Through the Gospel and the Sacraments you grant the Holy Spirit. Bless and guide our bishop and our pastors, and empower them for ministry to proclaim the Gospel and administer the Sacraments. Lord, in your mercy,

hear our prayer.

Your apostle Paul preached to the ancient Greeks on the Areopagus, calling those who had worshiped an unknown god to the praise of the true God. Bless all those who bring the Gospel to those who have not yet heard or obeyed. Lord, in your mercy,

hear our prayer.

In your wisdom you ordain government to bring freedom, peace, and order in the world. Give purpose and passion to our leaders and guide them with wisdom. Lord, in your mercy,

hear our prayer.

You provide for your people, that all might know the blessings of your creation. Bless those who are ill-fed, ill-clothed, or ill-housed; and give them relief and hope. Lord, in your mercy,

hear our prayer.

We pray to you, almighty God, in this time of pandemic. You are our refuge and our strength, a very present help in time of trouble. Do not let us fail in the face of these events. Uphold us with your love, and give us the strength we need. Help us in our confusion, and guide our actions. Heal the sick, console the bereaved and afflicted, protect the innocent and helpless, and deliver all who are in peril; Lord, in your mercy,

hear our prayer.

You hear the prayers of those who call upon you. Hear our petitions for the sick in body, mind, and spirit and for all who have asked for our prayers.

The People offer silent or spoken intercessions and thanksgivings.

Lord, in your mercy,    

hear our prayer.

O God, your risen Son ascended into heaven, transforming death into the gate to paradise. We give you thanks for the great company of those who have followed you in this life and now dwell with you in the kingdom of heaven. Lord, in your mercy,

hear our prayer.

Into your hands, Father, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in your steadfast love, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen

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 peace of the Lord be with you always.

And also with you.

ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR THE FAITH FAMILY

New Testament Canticle: O Ruler of the Universe

Magna et mirabilia: Song of the Redeemed

      O Ruler of the uni- | verse, Lord God,*

            great are the deeds that you have done,

            surpassing human | understanding.

      Your ways are ways of righteous- | ness and truth*

            O King of all the nations,

            O King of | all the ages.

      Who can fail to do you homage, Lord,

      and sing the praises | of your name?*

            For you alone are the | Holy One.

      All nations will draw near and bow | down before you*

            because your just and holy works have | been revealed.

      Glory to the Father, and to the Son,

       and to the | Holy Spirit:*

            as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forev- | er.

             Amen

BENEDICTION

       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 give us peace.

Amen

HYMN                                    A Mighty Fortress is Our God                        

      Lutheran Book of Worship 229

1              A mighty fortress is our God,

                a sword and shield victorious;

                he breaks the cruel oppressor's rod

        and wins salvation glorious.        

                The old satanic foe

                has sworn to work us woe!

                With craft and dreadful might

                he arms himself to fight.

                On earth he has no equal.

2             No strength of ours can match his might!

                We would be lost, rejected.

                But now a champion comes to fight,

                whom God himself elected.

                You ask who this may be?

                The Lord of hosts is he!

                Christ Jesus, mighty Lord,

                God's only Son, adored.

                He holds the field victorious.

3              Though hordes of devils fill the land

                all threat'ning to devour us,

                we tremble not, unmoved we stand;

                they cannot overpow'r us.

                Let this world's tyrant rage;

                in battle we'll engage!

                His might is doomed to fail;

                God's judgment must prevail!

                One little word subdues him.

4             God's Word forever shall abide,

                no thanks to foes, who fear it;

                for God himself fights by our side

                with weapons of the Spirit.

                Were they to take our house,

                goods, honor, child, or spouse,

                though life be wrenched away,

                they cannot win the day.

                The kingdom's ours forever!

Alleluia! Christ is risen!

He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

Be at peace. Serve the Lord.

Thanks be to God!