Now, this is what the Lord says, the one who created you, O Jacob, and formed you, O Israel: 

“Don’t be afraid, for I will protect you. I call you by name, you are mine. 

Isaiah 43,1

Introit

Lord, you examine me and know me.
You know when I sit down and when I get up; even from far away you understand my motives.
You carefully observe me when I travel or when I lie down to rest;  you are aware of everything I do.

Certainly, my tongue does not frame a word without you, O Lord, being thoroughly aware of it.
You squeeze me in from behind and in front; you place your hand on me.
Your knowledge is beyond my comprehension; it is so far beyond me, I am unable to fathom it.
Where can I go to escape your Spirit?  Where can I flee to escape your presence?
If I were to ascend to heaven, you would be there. If I were to sprawl out in Sheol, there you would be.
If I were to fly away on the wings of the dawn, and settle down on the other side of the sea,

even there your hand would guide me, your right hand would grab hold of me.
If I were to say, “Certainly the darkness will cover me, and the light will turn to night all around me,”
even the darkness is not too dark for you to see, and the night is as bright as day; darkness and light are the same to you. Certainlyyou made my mind and heart; you wove me together in my mother’s womb. I will give you thanks because your deeds are awesome and amazing.
You knew me thoroughly; my bones were not hidden from you, when I was made in secret
and sewed together in the depths of the earth.  Your eyes saw me when I was inside the womb.
All the days ordained for me were recorded in your scroll before one of them came into existence.
How difficult it is for me to fathom your thoughts about me, O God!
How vast is their sum total. If I tried to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand.
Even if I finished counting them, I would still have to contend with you.
If only you would kill the wicked, O God! Get away from me, you violent men!
They rebel against you and act deceitfully; your enemies lie.
O Lord, do I not hate those who hate you, and despise those who oppose you?
I absolutely hate them; they have become my enemies.
Examine me, O God, and probe my thoughts.  Test me, and know my concerns.
See if there is any idolatrous way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way.

Psalm 139 by King David

Collect of the day

Lord of all power and might, author and giver of all good things, grant into our hearts the love of Your name, increase in us true religion, nourish us with all goodness, and of Your great mercy keep us in the same; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Altar Book (Lutheran Service Book) Pg.914

Lesson from the Old Testament

Now, this is what the Lord says, the one who created you, O Jacob, and formed you, O Israel: “Don’t be afraid, for I will protect you. I call you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I am with you; when you pass through the streams, they will not overwhelm you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not harm you. For I am the Lord your God,the Holy One of Israel, your deliverer. I have handed over Egypt as a ransom price, Ethiopia and Seba in place of you. Since you are precious and special in my sight, and I love you, I will hand over people in place of you, nations in place of your life. Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. 

From the east I will bring your descendants; from the west I will gather you. I will say to the north, ‘Hand them over!’ and to the south, ‘Don’t hold any back!’ Bring my sons from distant lands, and my daughters from the remote regions of the earth, everyone who belongs to me, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed—yes, whom I made.

Isaiah 43,1-7

Gradual

Return, O Lord! How long? Have pity on Your servants! Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations. From everlasting to everlasting You are God.

Altar Book (LSB) Pg. 915

Epistle

Or do you not know that as many as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore we have been buried with him through baptism into death, in order that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too may live a new life.  For if we have become united with him in the likeness of his death, we will certainly also be united in the likeness of his resurrection. We know that our old man was crucified with him so that the body of sin would no longer dominate us, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.(For someone who has died has been freed from sin.)  Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that since Christ has been raised from the dead, he is never going to die again; death no longer has mastery over him. For the death he died, he died to sin once for all, but the life he lives, he lives to God. So you too consider yourselves dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Romans 6,3-11

The Holy Gospel

So the eleven disciples went to Galilee to the mountain Jesus had designated. When they saw him, they worshiped him, but some doubted. Then Jesus came up and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Matthew 28,16-20

The Creed of the Christian 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

The Hymn of the week

All mankind fell in Adam’s fall; one common sin infects us all.
From one to all the curse descends, and over all God’s wrath impends.

Through all our pow’rs corruption creeps and us in dreadful bondage keeps;
in guilt we draw our infant breath and reap its fruits of woe and death.

From hearts depraved, to evil prone, flow thoughts and deeds of sin alone;
God’s image lost, the darkened soul nor seeks nor finds its heav’nly goal.

But Christ, the second Adam, came to bear our sin and woe and shame,
to be our life, our light, our way, our only hope, our only stay.

As by one man all mankind fell and, born in sin, was doomed to hell,
so by one Man, who took our place, we all were justified by grace.

We thank you, Christ; new life is ours, new light, new hope, new strength, new pow’rs.
This grace our ev’ry way attend until we reach our journey’s end.

Lazarus Spengler (1478-1534) translated by Matthias Loy (1828-1915)

Sermon of Dr. Martin Luther for this Sunday on Mt.5,20-26

Sermon of Dr. Robert Kolb for this Sunday:

Prayer of the Church—Responsive Form

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

Heavenly Father, we praise and thank You for Your Son, Jesus Christ, whose perfect righteousness covers our sin and whose innocent suffering and death frees us from the prison of everlasting death. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

God of all concord, by the death of Your Son You reconciled the world to Yourself and made peace between God and man. Give us Your Spirit of reconciliation, that Your people may live together in forgiveness and harmony. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Send laborers into Your harvest, Lord. Preserve Your ministers among us devoted to Your Word and to prayer. Give many servants to Your Church, that neither the preaching nor the care of Your people may fall into neglect or disregard. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Gracious Lord, You have revealed Your righteousness in the sight of the nations: Christ Jesus, Your holy arm. By His death and resurrection, You have worked salvation. Strengthen the song of Your Church. Give skill to musicians, poets and artists. Give boldness to Your congregation in this and every place to sing the eternally new song of Christ. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

O Lord, You will that we live a holy life and love our neighbors as ourselves. Give us Your Holy Spirit and teach us to honor authority, protect life, cherish marriage, respect possessions, defend reputations and be content with the gifts You give us. Guide and bless all fathers and mothers, pastors and teachers as they bring up children in wisdom and in favor with God and man. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Holy Father, You have given us Your own Spirit in our Baptism into Christ. Defend us from all spiritual attacks. Guard us in body and soul. Help those afflicted by any adversity, especially Karin, Ingrid, Bob und Pauline, Stephen and Deborah, Eric, Matthew and Cathy, Scott and Mary-Ann, Angelika, Christoph, Carola, Thomas, Annette, Dietmar und Angela, Mario und Vaclav, Ellie, Emily, Stefan, Klaus, Vivian, Margot, David, Friederike und Olly, Isabel, Max und Louis, Ella, Detlev & Biljana, Matz und Timo, Ruth und Walter, David und Lucy, Xhotso, Mamohau, Hanns, Heinrich, Harry, Matthias und Christa, Michael, Mark und Mindy, Bärbel, Thomas, Inga, Peter, Linus, Christian und Johanna, Hans-Dieter und Doris, Ekkehardt, Manuela and lead them by Your grace and mercy to renewed strength and peace. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Heavenly Father, in the Holy Supper You forgive our sins and bind us together in Your communion of love. Grant that we, too, may gladly forgive the sins of our brothers, and let no division arise among those gathered at Your table. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

All these things and whatever else You know that we need, grant us, Father, for the sake of Him who died and rose again and now lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God forever. Amen.

Lutheran Church Missouri Synod

+ 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.