Mount Calvary Lutheran Church
May 9, 2021 The Sixth Sunday of Easter
**INVOCATION (Matthew 28:19)
**CONFESSION/ABSOLUTION (1 John 1:8-9)
Pastor: If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
People: But, if we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
(silence for reflection and self examination)
Pastor: Let us then confess our sins to God our Father.
People: Most merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean. 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. We justly deserve your present and eternal punishment. 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 most Holy Name. Amen.
Pastor: Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake….
** INTROIT (Psalm 66) (spoken responsively)
Pastor: With a voice of singing, declare this with a shout of joy to the end of the earth; Alleluia
People: “The Lord has redeemed his servant Jacob!” Alleluia
Pastor: Shout for joy to God, all the earth;
People: sing the glory of his name;
Pastor: I cried to him with my mouth,
People: and high praise was on my tongue.
Pastor: But truly God has listened;
People: he has attended to the voice of my prayer.
Pastor: Blessed be God,
People: because he has not rejected my prayer or removed his steadfast love from me!
All: Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning, is now and will be forever. Amen.
Pastor: With a voice of singing, declare this with a shout of joy to the end of the earth; Alleluia
People: “The Lord has redeemed his servant Jacob!” Alleluia
**KYRIE ELEISON
Pastor: …in peace let us pray to the Lord:
People: Lord, have mercy.
** GLORIA IN EXCELSIS (to be sung)
Pastor: Glory be to God on high
People: and on earth peace, good will toward men. We praise you, we bless you, we
worship you, we glorify you, we give you thanks for your great glory. O
Lord God, heav’nly King, God the Father Almighty. O Lord, the only
begotten Son, Jesus Christ; O Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father,
who takes away the sin of the world, have mercy; who takes away the sin of
the world, receive our prayer, who sits at the right hand of God the Father,
have mercy. For you only are holy; you only are the Lord; you only, O
Christ, with the Holy Spirit, are most high in the glory of God the Father.
Amen.
**PRAYER FOR TODAY
O God, the Giver of all that is good, by Your holy inspiration grant that we may think those things that are right and by Your merciful guiding accomplish them; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
HYMN 837 Lift High the Cross sts. Ref 1 –2, 6
ref Lift high the cross, the love of Christ proclaim
Till all the world adore His sacred name.
1 Come, Christians, follow where our Captain trod,
Our king victorious, Christ, the Son of God. Refrain
2 Led on their way by this triumphant sign,
The hosts of God in conqu’ring ranks combine. Refrain
6 So shall our song of triumph ever be:
Praise to the Crucified for victory! Refrain
Old Testament Reading Numbers 21:4–9
4From Mount Hor they set out by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom. And the people became impatient on the way. 5And the people spoke against God and against Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this worthless food.” 6Then the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died. 7And the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you. Pray to the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. 8And the Lord said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.” 9So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live.
Epistle James 1:22–27
22But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.
26If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. 27Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.
Alleluia & Verse LSB 205
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
These things are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Holy Gospel John 16:5–15
P The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the sixteenth chapter.
C Glory to You, O Lord.
23[Jesus said:] “In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. 24Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.
25“I have said these things to you in figures of speech. The hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures of speech but will tell you plainly about the Father. 26In that day you will ask in my name, and I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf; 27for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. 28I came from the Father and have come into the world, and now I am leaving the world and going to the Father.”
29His disciples said, “Ah, now you are speaking plainly and not using figurative speech! 30Now we know that you know all things and do not need anyone to question you; this is why we believe that you came from God.” 31Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe? 32Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me. 33I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C Praise to You, O Christ.
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
SERMON HYMN ~ “What a Friend We Have in Jesus” LSB#770
1 What a friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Ev’rything to God in prayer!
Oh, what peace we often forfeit;
Oh, what needless pain we bear—
All because we do not carry
Ev’rything to God in prayer!
2 Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged—
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our ev’ry weakness—
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
3 Are we weak and heavy laden,
Cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge—
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
In His arms He’ll take and shield thee;
Thou wilt find a solace there.
THE MESSAGE
OFFERTORY
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with your free Spirit
SONG ~ Sweet Hour of Prayer, TFBF#242
1 Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
that calls me from a world of care,
and bids me at my Father’s throne
make all my wants and wishes known.
In seasons of distress and grief,
my soul has often found relief,
and oft escaped the tempter’s snare
by thy return, sweet hour of prayer!
2 Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
the joys I feel, the bliss I share
of those whose anxious spirits burn
with strong desires for thy return!
With such I hasten to the place
where God my Savior shows his face,
and gladly take my station there,
and wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer!
3 Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
thy wings shall my petition bear
to him whose truth and faithfulness
engage the waiting soul to bless.
And since he bids me seek his face,
believe his word, and trust his grace,
I’ll cast on him my every care,
and wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer!
Prayer of the Church
P Friends in Christ, I urge you all to lift up your hearts to God and pray with me as Christ our Lord has taught us and freely promised to hear us.
God, our Father in heaven, look with mercy on us, Your needy children on earth, and grant us grace that Your holy name be hallowed by us and all the world through the pure and true teaching of Your Word and the fervent love shown forth in our lives. Graciously turn from us all false doctrine and evil living whereby Your precious name is blasphemed and profaned. Lord, in Your mercy,
C hear our prayer.
P May Your kingdom come to us and expand. Bring all transgressors and those who are blinded and bound in the devil’s kingdom to know Jesus Christ, Your Son, by faith that the number of Christians may be increased. Lord, in Your mercy,
C hear our prayer.
P Strengthen us by Your Spirit according to Your will, both in life and in death, in the midst of both good and evil things, that our own wills may be crucified daily and sacrificed to Your good and gracious will. Into Your merciful hands we commend [name(s)] and all who are in need, praying for them at all times: Thy will be done. Lord, in Your mercy,
C hear our prayer.
P Grant us our daily bread, preserve us from greed and selfish cares, and help us trust in You to provide for all our needs. Lord, in Your mercy,
C hear our prayer.
P Forgive us our sins as we also forgive those who sin against us so that our hearts may be at peace and may rejoice in a good conscience before You, and that no sin may ever frighten or alarm us. Lord, in Your mercy,
C hear our prayer.
P Lead us not into temptation, O Lord, but help us by Your Spirit to subdue our flesh, to turn from the world and its ways, and to overcome the devil with all his wiles. Lord, in Your mercy,
C hear our prayer.
P And lastly, O heavenly Father, deliver us from all evil of both body and soul, now and forever. Lord, in Your mercy,
C hear our prayer.
P We trust, O Lord, in Your great mercy to hear and answer us; through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
C Amen.
LORD’S PRAYER