The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

2. Corinthians 13,13

Introitus

Praise the Lord.
Praise, you servants of the Lord,
praise the name of the Lord.
May the Lord’s name be praised
now and forevermore.
From east to west
the Lord’s name is deserving of praise.
The Lord is exalted over all the nations;
his splendor reaches beyond the sky.
Who can compare to the Lord our God,
who sits on a high throne?
He bends down to look
at the sky and the earth.
He raises the poor from the dirt,
and lifts up the needy from the garbage pile,

that he might seat him with princes,
with the princes of his people.
He makes the barren woman of the family
a happy mother of children.
Praise the Lord.

Psalm 113

Collect

Almighty and everlasting God, You have given us grace to acknowledge the glory of the etneral 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. Amen.

Altar Book (LSB Pg.906)

Old Testament

In the year of King Uzziah’s death, I saw the Lord seated on a high, elevated throne. The hem of his robe filled the temple. Seraphs stood over him; each one had six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and they used the remaining two to fly. They called out to one another, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies! His majestic splendor fills the entire earth!” The sound of their voices shook the door frames, and the temple was filled with smoke.

 I said, “Woe to me! I am destroyed, for my lips are contaminated by sin, and I live among people whose lips are contaminated by sin. My eyes have seen the king, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.” But then one of the seraphs flew toward me. In his hand was a hot coal he had taken from the altar with tongs. He touched my mouth with it and said, “Look, this coal has touched your lips. Your evil is removed; your sin is forgiven.” I heard the voice of the Lord say, “Whom will I send? Who will go on our behalf?” I answered, “Here I am, send me!” He said, “Go and tell these people:

‘Listen continually, but don’t understand.
Look continually, but don’t perceive.’
Make the hearts of these people calloused;
make their ears deaf and their eyes blind.

Otherwise they might see with their eyes and hear with their ears,
their hearts might understand and they might repent and be healed.”
I replied, “How long, Lord?” He said,
“Until cities are in ruins and unpopulated,
and houses are uninhabited,
and the land is ruined and devastated,
 and the Lord has sent the people off to a distant place,
and the very heart of the land is completely abandoned.
Even if only a tenth of the people remain in the land,
it will again be destroyed,
like one of the large sacred trees or an Asherah pole,
when a sacred pillar on a high place is thrown down.
That sacred pillar symbolizes the special chosen family.”

Isaiah 6,1-8 (9-13)  

Gradual

Blessed are You, O Lord, who beholds the deep, and who dwells between the cherubim. Blessed are You, O Lord, in the firmament of heaven, and greatly to be praised forever.

Altar Book (LSB Pg.907)

Epistle

For God has consigned all people to disobedience so that he may show mercy to them all.

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how unfathomable his ways!

For who has known the mind of the Lord,
or who has been his counselor?
Or who has first given to God,
that God needs to repay him?

For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever! Amen.

Romans 11, (32) 33-36

Halleluja Verse

Alleluia. Blessed are You, O Lord God of our fathers, and greatly to be praised and glorified forever. Amen.

Altar Book (LSB Pg.907)

Gospel

Now a certain man, a Pharisee named Nicodemus, who was a member of the Jewish ruling council,  came to Jesus^[c] at night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs that you do unless God is with him.”Jesus replied, “I tell you the solemn truth, unless a person is born from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter his mother’s womb and be born a second time, can he?”

Jesus answered, “I tell you the solemn truth, unless a person is born of water and spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must all be born from above.’ The wind blows wherever it will, and you hear the sound it makes, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

Nicodemus replied, “How can these things be?” Jesus answered, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you don’t understand these things? I tell you the solemn truth, we speak about what we know and testify about what we have seen, but you people do not accept our testimony. If I have told you people about earthly things and you don’t believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven—the Son of Man.

John 3,1-8 (9-13)

Christian Creed

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

Come, Holy Ghost, Creator blest, and make our hearts your place of rest; come with your grace and heav’nly aid, and fill the hearts which you have made.

To you, the Counselor, we cry, to you, the gift of God most high, the fount of life, the fire of love, the soul’s anointing from above.

In you, with graces sevenfold, we God’s almighty hand behold while you with tongues of fire proclaim to all the world his holy name.

Your light to ev’ry thought impart, and shed your love in ev’ry heart; the weakness of our mortal state with deathless might invigorate.

Drive far away our wily foe, and your abiding peace bestow; with you as our protecting guide, no evil can with us abide.

Teach us to know the Father, Son, and you, from both, as Three in One that we your name may ever bless and in our lives the truth confess.

Praise we the Father and the Son and Holy Spirit, with them One, and may the Son on us bestow the gifts that from the Spirit flow!

Rabanus Maurus (776-856) translated by Edward Caswall (1814-1878)

Sermon

Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice, set things right, be encouraged, agree with one another, live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you.  Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the saints greet you.The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

2. Corinthians 13,11-13

My sermon:

Prayer of the week

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

Blessed Father, we worship You not as we ought but as we are able, within the frailty of our minds and hearts that still struggle against sin and unbelief. Guard us by Your Spirit, that we may not grow weary nor lose sight of the goal before us. Work in us to display the good works of Him who has called us from darkness into His marvelous light. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Blessed Father, You have revealed Yourself to us in Christ, that we may know You by faith and confess You before the world. Give us Your Spirit, that all churches may confess truly and faithfully Your Word and live in harmony of doctrine and life, in anticipation of that day when we shall kneel together at Your altar. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Blessed Father, You gave Your only Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. Bless the work of missionaries as they carry this Gospel to the ends of the earth, that many may hear of Your love in Your Son and be saved through Him. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Blessed Father, You sit enthroned as King forever. Bless Friedrich, Reiner, Cyril, Volodimyr, Benjamin and all who rule us in Your stead with wisdom and understanding, that truth and justice may prevail in our land and lawlessness may be kept at bay. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Blessed Father, uphold Ukrainians in the Russian war and Israelis under Islamistic terror and all those who suffer in affliction and need in our midst, that since You are at their right hand, they cannot be shaken. Gladden their hearts, cause their tongues to rejoice and make their flesh dwell in hope. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Send from Your altar, blessed Father, the body and blood of Christ. Cleanse us and our lips by this blessed Sacrament, delivering the atonement Christ has won for us, that we may be worthy to stand before You now and at the Last Day. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Heavenly Father, from whom all fatherhood is named, we give You thanks for earthly fathers. Give them confidence in their station and zeal for their task to care for their families faithfully. Make them examples to their children of godly life and love of Your Word. Bless their work of bringing up children in the fear and instruction of the Lord, and give them the comfort of Your absolution over all their shortcomings. Gather us together with all our fathers to Your eternal household; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

LCMS One-year-series: Trinity

+ 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 and give Thee peace.

Numbers 6,24-26 (4th Book of Moses)