Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Mt.11,28

Introitus

Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens,
    your faithfulness to the clouds.
Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains;
    your judgments are like the great deep;
    you save humans and animals alike, O Lord.

How precious is your steadfast love, O God!
    All people may take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
They feast on the abundance of your house,
    and you give them drink from the river of your delights.
For with you is the fountain of life;
    in your light we see light.

O continue your steadfast love to those who know you
    and your salvation to the upright of heart!

Psalm 36,6-10

Old Testament lesson

“Hey, all who are thirsty, come to the water! You who have no money, come! Buy and eat!
Come! Buy wine and milk without money and without cost.  Why pay money for something that will not nourish you? Why spend your hard-earned money on something that will not satisfy? Listen carefully to me and eat what is nourishing!  Enjoy fine food.  Pay attention and come to me. Listen, so you can live.
Then I will make an unconditional covenantal promise to you, just like the reliable covenantal promises I made to David. Look, I made him a witness to nations, a ruler and commander of nations.” Look, you will summon nations you did not previously know; nations that did not previously know you will run to you, because of the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, for he bestows honor on you.

Isaiah 55,1-5

Epistle lesson (Sermon)

(Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh—who are called “uncircumcision” by the so-called “circumcision” that is performed on the body by human hands— that you were at that time without the Messiah, alienated from the citizenship of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who used to be far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, the one who made both groups into one and who destroyed the middle wall of partition, the hostility, when he nullified in his flesh the law of commandments in decrees. He did this to create in himself one new man out of two, thus making peace, and to reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by which the hostility has been killed.) 

And he (IX) came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near, so thatthrough him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.So then you are no longer foreigners and noncitizens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of God’s household, because you have been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. In him the whole building, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord,in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

Ephesians 2,11-22

Holy Gospel

When one of those at the meal with Jesus heard this, he said to him, “Blessed is everyone who will feast in the kingdom of God!” But Jesus said to him, “A man once gave a great banquet and invited many guests. At the time for the banquet he sent his slave to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, because everything is now ready.’But one after another they all began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. Please excuse me.’ Another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going out to examine them. Please excuse me.’ Another said, ‘I just got married, and I cannot come.’ So the slave came back and reported this to his master. Then the master of the household was furious and said to his slave, ‘Go out quickly to the streets and alleys of the city, and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.’ Then the slave said, ‘Sir, what you instructed has been done, and there is still room.’ So the master said to his slave, ‘Go out to the highways and country roads and urge people to come in, so that my house will be filled. For I tell you, not one of those individuals who were invited will taste my banquet!’

Luke 14,15-24

Confession of the church 

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 of the world to come. Amen.

Nicene creed

Hymn of the week

“Kommt her zu mir, spricht Gottes Sohn, all die Ihr seid beschweret nun,  mit Sünden hart beladen, Ihr Jungen, Alten, Frau und Mann, ich will Euch geben, was ich han, will heilen Euren Schaden.

Mein Joch ist sanft, leicht meine Last, und jeder, der sie willig faßt, der wird der Höll entrinnen. Ich helfe ihm tragen, was zu schwer; mit meiner Hilf und Kraft wird er das Himmelreich gewinnen.”

Gern wollt die Welt auch selig sein, wenn nur nicht wär die schwere Pein, die alle Christen leiden; nun aber kann nicht anders sein, darum ergeb sich nur darein, wer ewig Pein will meiden.

Heut ist der Mensch schön, jung und rank, sieh, morgen ist er schwach und krank, bald muß er auch gar sterben; gleichwie die Blumen auf dem Feld, also wird diese schöne Welt in einem Nu verderben.

Die Welt erzittert ob dem Tod; liegt einer in der letzten Not, dann will er gleich fromm werden; einer schaff´ dies, der andre das, sein arme Seel er ganz vergaß, dieweil er lebt´ auf Erden.

Und wenn er nicht mehr leben kann, hebt eine große Klag er an, will sich nun Gott ergeben; ich fürcht fürwahr, die göttlich Gnad, die er allzeit verspottet hat, wird schwerlich ob ihm schweben.

Dem Reichen hilft doch nicht sein Gut, dem Jungen nicht sein stolzer Mut, er muß aus diesem Maien; wenn einer hätt die ganze Welt, Silber und Gold und alles Geld, doch muß er an den Reihen.

Dem G´lerhten hilft doch nicht sein Kunst, die weltlich Pracht ist gar umsonst, wir müssen alle sterben. Wer sich in Christo nicht bereit´, weil er lebt in der Gnadenzeit, ewig muß er verderben.

Höret und merkt, ihr lieben Kind, die jetzo Gott ergeben sind: laßt Euch die Müh nicht reuen, halt´ fest am heiligen Gotteswort, das ist Euer Trost und höchster Hort, Gott wird Euch schon erfreuen.

Und was der ewig gütig Gott in seinem Wort versprochen hat, geschworn bei seinem Namen, das hält und gibt er gwiß fürwahr. Der helf uns zu der Engel Schar, durch Jesum Christum! Amen.

Georg Grünwald 1530 (LKG 246)

Sermon on Ephesians 2

Prayer of the week

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

O Lord, You have brought us who once were far off near to You by the blood of Christ. Bless the mission of Your Church in our land and throughout the world, that through the proclamation of the Gospel many may be built together with us into a dwelling place for You. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

O Lord, see the many places at Your table this day that stand empty! Make us faithful to go out to the highways and hedges, wherever You have placed us in this world, to make known Your gracious invitation to Your feast of forgiveness and love, that Your house may be filled. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

O Lord, since everyone who hates his brother is a murderer and no murderer has eternal life in Christ, pour Your Son’s love into our hearts. By Your Spirit, let us abandon the hatred of others and abide in love, not casting away the gift of eternal life that He has won for us. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

O Lord, give diligence to all who serve in the high duty of father or mother and to all who guard and rear children. In word and deed, let their lives show forth the blessings of Christ, the certainty of His mercy for sinners and the primacy of the Means of Grace, by which faith is created, strengthened and preserved to life everlasting. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

O Lord, preserve peace in our land and uphold our nation’s leaders, especially Olaf, Vlodimir, Cyril and Joseph,  Reiner.. Enable our leaders, lawmakers and judges to govern according to Your will and not contrary to Your order, knowing that all authority under heaven comes from You. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

O Lord, we lift before You the many afflictions of our brothers and sisters especially Matthew & Cathy, Scott & Mary-Ann; David & Lucy, Mark & Mindy, Daniel & Linda; Markus; Johann, June, Christoph, Ruthi und Walter, Karin, Ingrid, Gisela, Angelika, Oly & Friederike, Isabel, Max & Louis; Elle; Detlev & Biljana, Matz, Timo, Gerhard, Carmela, Manfred & Mechthild. Lothar & Katharina; Eckart und Karl-Heinz, Peter & Linus; Bärbel & Gertrud; Götz, Sylvia & Vivian; Vazlav & Paulina; Thomas; Margot, For the sake of Your righteous Son, hear their cries for help and deliver them out of all their troubles. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

O Lord, do not let us decline Your invitation to the feast of Christ’s flesh and blood with many excuses, nor let us despise Your kingdom’s eternal banquet! Forgive our weakness for Christ’s sake, and by Your Spirit, give us a hunger and thirst that must be satisfied by Him. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Lord God, heavenly Father, we give You thanks that through the Holy Word You have called us to Your great Supper. Enliven our hearts by Your Holy Spirit, that we may not hear Your Word without fruit, but prepare ourselves rightly for Your kingdom and not allow ourselves to be hindered by any worldly care; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the same Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Lutheran Church Missouri Synod: One-year-series

+ Dominum vobiscum +

The Lord bless Thee, and keep Thee;

The Lord make His face shine upon Thee, and be gracious unto Thee;

The Lord lift up His countenance upon Thee + give Thee peace.

Numbers 6,24-27

If you are called to preach this weekend, may the holy one and triune God give You joy and strength, wisdom, knowledge and insight, that You preach His holy will faithfully and His gracious promises invitingly. His most precious Gospel is “the power of God to save all who believe.” (Rom 1:16) and His good Word and Luther´s true teaching remains forever – just as His one, holy Christian Church + Amen.