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The Holy God SThe Holy God SThe Holy God SThe Holy God Speakspeakspeakspeaks OPENING SERVICE

HOLY COMMUNION

OPENING HYMN Holy, Holy, Holy Christian Worship 195 STAND

INVOCATION M: In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.

C: Amen.

DIALOGUE M: O give thanks unto the Lord, call on his name, make known his deeds among the peoples!

Sing to him, sing praises to him, tell of all his wonderful works!

C: The works of the Lord are great and glorious. His name is worthy of praise!

M: O Father most holy, gather us together in the name of Jesus and fill us with your grace. Lead us this day that all we do might be done at your bidding,

direct us by your wisdom, inform us by your truth, show us your great glory.

C: The works of the Lord are great and glorious. His love endures forever!

M: O holy Lord Jesus, dwell with us all, that we might be a spiritual temple, that founded on you we might be built together as living stones; that in you we might offer to you noble and fitting spiritual service

of praise and thanksgiving, of lives lived in your love, and of proclaiming your words and work,

C: The works of the Lord are great and glorious. Tell of all his wonderful deeds!

M: O Spirit most holy, you have gone out into all the world, you have summoned us to the great feast that all might enter the courts of your presence and the mansions of heavenly paradise. Grant to us your blessing and peace,

that we may be witnesses of your truth, the reflection of your glory, and the ambassadors of your kingdom.

C: The works of the Lord are great and glorious. May our mouths be filled with his praise!

M: To you, O Father, Son and Holy Spirit, one God from all eternity and to all eternity, be glory, wisdom, power, and dominion forever.

C: Amen and amen!

Psalm 96:4

Psalm 136:1

Psalm 78:4

Psalm 71:8

2

SONG OF PRAISE A Canticle to the Lamb Christian Worship Supplement 787 The congregation sings the refrains. The verses are sung by the choir.

Choir: You created all things, O God, and are worthy of our praise forever.

You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power. For you have created all things, and by your will they have their being.

C: Refrain

Choir: You are worthy, O Lamb, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed saints for God from ev’ry tribe and language and nation.

You have made them a kingdom of priests serving our God, and they will reign upon the earth.

C: Refrain

PRAYER OF THE DAY

M: The Lord be with you.

C: And also with you.

M: Let us pray.

Almighty God and Father, dwelling in majesty and mystery, filling and renewing all creation by your eternal Spirit, and manifesting your saving grace through our Lord Jesus Christ: in mercy cleanse our hearts and lips that, free from doubt and fear, we may ever worship you, one true immortal God, with your Son and the Holy Spirit, living and reigning, now and forever.

C: Amen.

BE SEATED

The Electronic

Pew Edition of

Christian Worship

Supplement

provides a

responsorial

settings of this

canticle, making it

accessible for the

congregation.

3

THE WORD

FIRST LESSON Isaiah 6:1-8 The prophet beholds the throne of the holy God.

PSALM Psalm 150 Christian Worship Supplement The congregation sings the refrain. The verses are sung responsively with the choir. (congregation sings the BOLD verses)

Praise God in his sanctuary;

praise him in his mighty heavens. Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness. Refrain Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre, praise him with tambourine and dancing, praise him with strings and flute, praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals. Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD. 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. Refrain

This setting’s

strong ties to

Isaiah 6 (in the

refrain) make it

an ideal choice

for Trinity

Sunday,

especially in

Year B.

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SECOND LESSON Romans 8:14-17 By the Spirit’s power: heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ. VERSE OF THE DAY

Alleluia. Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory. Alleluia.

STAND

GOSPEL John 3:1-17 We are loved by God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

At the conclusion of the reading the congregation responds:

M: This is the Gospel of the Lord.

C: Praise be to you, O Christ!

BE SEATED

HYMN OF THE DAY Come Holy Ghost, God and Lord Christian Worship 176 SERMON Isaiah 6:1-8

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying.

And they were calling to one another:

HOLY HOLY HOLY is the LORD Almighty

the whole earth is full of his glory

At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty.” Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.”

Then I heard the voice of

the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”

STAND AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE SERMON

The verse of

the day is best

sung by choir

or solo voices,

calls God’s

people up to

their feet and

motivating

them to a

joyful hearing

of the day’s

Gospel.

5

CONFESSION OF FAITH from the Athanasian Creed

Whoever wishes to be saved must, above all else, hold to the true Christian faith. Whoever does not keep this faith pure in all points will certainly perish forever. Now this is the true Christian faith: We worship one God in three persons and three persons in one God, without mixing the persons or dividing the divine being. For each person—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit—is distinct, but the deity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is one, equal in glory and coeternal in majesty. What the Father is, so is the Son, and so is the Holy Spirit. The Father is uncreated, the Son uncreated, the Holy Spirit uncreated; the Father is infinite, the Son infinite, the Holy Spirit infinite; the Father is eternal, the Son eternal, the Holy Spirit eternal; yet they are not three who are eternal, but there is one who is eternal, just as they are not three who are uncreated, nor three who are infinite, but there is one who is uncreated and one who is infinite. In the same way the Father is almighty, the Son is almighty, the Holy Spirit is almighty; yet they are not three who are almighty, but there is one who is almighty. So the Father is God, the Son is God, the Holy Spirit is God; yet they are not three Gods, but one God. So the Father is Lord, the Son is Lord, the Holy Spirit is Lord; yet they are not three Lords, but one Lord. For just as Christian truth compels us to confess each person individually to be God

and Lord, so the true Christian faith forbids us to speak of three Gods or three Lords.

The Father is neither made nor created nor begotten of anyone. The Son is neither made nor created, but is begotten of the Father alone. The Holy Spirit is neither made nor created nor begotten, but proceeds from the Father and the Son. So there is one Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three Sons; one Holy Spirit, not three Holy Spirits. And within this Trinity none comes before or after; none is greater or inferior, but all three persons are coequal and coeternal, so that in every way, as stated before, all three persons are to be worshiped as one God and one God worshiped as three persons. Whoever wishes to be saved must have this conviction of the Trinity.

BE SEATED

OFFERING

STAND

PRAYER OF THE CHURCH

M: Almighty Father, we stand in awe of your divine majesty and power. You hold all things within your hands. When we destroyed your creation through sin, you sent your Son to rescue us. Though we were doomed to death because of unbelief, you sent your Holy Spirit to create faith in our hearts.

Attributed to

Athanasius,

this creed was

composed to

combat errors

in the Church

during the 5th

Century.

Among them,

the denial that

God’s Son and

the Holy Spirit

are of the same

being as the

Father.

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C: Lead us to know and appreciate that you created and sustain all things for the good of your people.

M: Lord Jesus Christ, we praise you for accomplishing the plan of our salvation and bringing eternal life to all those who call on you. Continue to bless and keep the Church which bears your name. Strengthen her, defend her, and restore her day by day through your promise of grace.

C: Cleanse us of all unfaithfulness, sluggishness, and arrogance by the power of your Word and Sacraments.

M: O Holy Spirit, preserve your unity among us. Grant peace to our congregations, our district, and our synod. Guide and encourage us in our various forms of service to the Church. Be with us as we begin this convention, that your work might be accomplished through our efforts.

C: Give success to our endeavors, wisdom to our discussions, and joy to our gathering that we might bring you glory in all we do.

M: Most holy Trinity, you are our God, we are your people. Hear us as we join to pray,

Our Father in heaven. hallowed be your name. your kingdom come. your will be done on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and forever. Amen.

THE SACRAMENT

M: The Lord be with you.

C: And also with you.

M: Lift up your hearts.

C: We lift them up to the Lord.

M: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

C: It is good and right so to do.

M: It is truly good and right that we should at all times and in all places give you thanks, O Lord, holy Father, almighty and everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, and now we confess that you, with your Son and the Holy Spirit, are one God and one Lord, and we acknowledge your as our Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier. Therefore with all the saints on earth and hosts of heaven, we praise your holy name and join their glorious song:

The words of

the preface lift

up the

worshipers’

hearts in

praise. They

are among the

oldest in the

Christian

liturgy.

Here, we note

the proper

preface for

Holy Trinity.

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HOLY, HOLY, HOLY Isaiah, Mighty Seer in Days of Old

Christian Worship 267

Martin Luther’s

German

Sanctus was

written in 1526

to be used in

his Deutsche

Messe. As we

prepare to

receive Christ’s

body and

blood, Luther

brings us with

Isaiah into the

presence of

God.

The song of the

angels is sung

in majestic

half-time.

8

WORDS OF INSTITUTION

M: Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night he was betrayed, took bread; and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my (+) body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

Then he took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; this is my (+) blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for you for the forgiveness of sins. Do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.”

The peace of the Lord be with you always

C: Amen.

LAMB OF GOD Lamb of God, Pure and Holy Christian Worship 268

BE SEATED

DISTRIBUTION HYMNS O Living Bread from Heaven Christian Worship 314 Here, O My Lord, I See You Face to Face Christian Worship 315

Nikolaus’

Decius text

dates to the

earliest days of

Lutheran

worship. The

well-known

tune is even

older,

comprised of

13th

century

Gregorian

chant.

9

STAND

PRAYER M: We give you thanks, O Lord, for the foretaste of the heavenly banquet that you have given

us to eat and to drink in this sacrament. Through this gift you have fed our faith, nourished our hope, and strengthened our love. By your Spirit help us to live as your holy people until that day when you will receive us as your guests at the wedding supper of the Lamb, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

C: Amen. BLESSING M: The Lord bless you and keep you.

The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you. The Lord look on you with favor and (+) give you peace.

C: Amen.

CLOSING HYMN Triune God, O Be Our Stay Christian Worship 192, St. 1

BE SEATED

SERVING AT WORSHIP

Presiding Minister Pastor John Vieths

Calvary, Dallas TX

Preacher Pastor Don Patterson

Holy Word, Austin TX

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

“A Canticle to the Lamb” Copyright 2006 Ronald L. Schilling and “Psalm 150” Copyright 2005

Michael Schultz from Christian Worship Supplement: Electronic Edition. Used under liscense. All

rights reserved.

“Isaiah Mighty Seer” and “Lamb of God, Pure and Holy” Christian Worship: Electronic Edition.

Copyright 2012 by Northwestern Publishing House. Used by under license.

Scripture is taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright 1973, 1978,

1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

Artwork is taken from Clip Art for Year C by Steve Erspamer. Copyright 1992 by Archdiocese of

Chicago. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

The blessing of

Aaron has been

spoken over

God’s people

for over 3,500

years. It serves

to both open

and close the

work of our

conference.

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The Holy God SavesThe Holy God SavesThe Holy God SavesThe Holy God Saves MONDAY MIDDAY DEVOTION

REMAIN SEATED

PSALMODY Psalm 71

M: In you, O LORD, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame.

C: Rescue me and deliver me in your righteousness; turn your ear to me and save me.

M: Be my rock of refuge, to which I can always go;

C: give the command to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress.

M: For you have been my hope, O Sovereign LORD, my confidence since my youth.

C: From birth I have relied on you; you brought me forth from my mother’s womb.

M: Do not cast me away when I am old; do not forsake me when my strength is gone.

C: Be not far from me, O God; come quickly, O my God, to help me. 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. HYMN We Now Implore God the Holy Ghost Christian Worship 190 DEVOTION Exodus 6:2-8

God said to Moses, “I am the LORD. I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob as God

Almighty, but by my name the LORD I did not make myself known to them. I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, where they lived as aliens. Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians are enslaving, and I have remembered my covenant. Therefore, say to the Israelites:

I AM THE LORD

I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment.

I will take

you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. And I will bring you to the land I swore with uplifted hand to give to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob. I will give it to you as a possession.

I AM THE LORD

Since the 3rd

Century, the

Gloria Patri has

been used to

place Old

Testament

Psalms into a

New Testament

context .

11

PRAYER

M: Heavenly Father, God of all grace, govern our hearts that we may never forget your blessings but steadfastly thank and praise you for all your goodness in this life, until with all your saints, we praise you eternally in your heavenly kingdom; through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

C: Amen.

BLESSING

M: May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The one who

calls you is faithful and he will do it.

C: Amen

SERVING AT WORSHIP

Devotion Leader John Hering Divine Peace, Garland TX

1 Thessalonians

5:20-21

12

The Holy God HearsThe Holy God HearsThe Holy God HearsThe Holy God Hears A SERVICE OF MORNING PRAISE

Thanksgiving for the Ministry of Vilas Glaeske

STAND

M: O Lord, open my lips

C: That my mouth may declare your praise

M: Make haste, O God, to deliver me;

C: Make haste to help me, O Lord. 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.

M: Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Let us worship him. COME LET US PRAISE THE LORD

BE SEATED

“Matins” is

considered the

earliest of the

monastic

services. It was

the first to be

celebrated

historically (4th

Century) and

daily. (at or

around

4:00AM)

Using the words

of the Venite,

the service of

Matins signals

the beginning

of the day’s

work with an

invitation to

praise and

prayer.

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DEVOTION 2 Chronicles 6:12-21

Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in front of the whole assembly of Israel and spread out his hands. He said:

“O LORD, God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven or on earth—you who keep your covenant of love with your servants who continue wholeheartedly in your way. You have kept your promise to your servant David my father; with your mouth you have promised and with your hand you have fulfilled it—as it is today.

“Now LORD, God of Israel, keep for your servant David my father the

promises you made to him when you said, ‘You shall never fail to have a man to sit before me on the throne of Israel, if only your sons are careful in all they do to walk before me according to my law, as you have done.’ And now, O LORD, God of Israel, let your word that you promised your servant David come true.

“But will God really dwell on earth with men? The heavens, even the

highest heavens, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built! Yet give attention to your servant’s prayer and his plea for mercy, O LORD my God. Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is praying in your presence. May your eyes be open toward this temple day and night, this place of which you said you would put your Name there. May you hear the prayer your servant prays toward this place.

Hear the supplications of your servant and of your people Israel when they pray toward this place. Hear from heaven, your dwelling place; and when you hear, forgive.

STAND

TE DEUM Holy God, We Praise Your Name

Christian Worship 278

PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING

M: Eternal Father, ever-living and everlasting Lord, in Christ Jesus you call us your children and invite us to bring our prayers to you with the steady trust that you will answer them. We praise you and give you our thanks this day for pouring out your blessings for so many years on your servant, Vilas Glaeske, and for calling him into the public ministry of the gospel despite his own frailties and weaknesses.

C: To you, O Lord, we give thanks.

M: You gave him a heart of faith through Baptism and strengthened him with your Word and Holy Supper, you empowered him to rely on your grace and guidance, instilled in him a deep love for your scriptures, and endowed him with a compassion for the lost and a commitment to his labor. And with these gifts you have granted victories for your gospel and blessings to your Church.

C: To you, O Lord, be the praise.

The third

stanza of this

popular

metrical setting

was composed

by Ruth M.

Glaeske.

14

M: Now we pray that you would continue to use your servant according to your will and ways. Protect him from trouble, keep his family under the shadow of your wings, and give him joy as he pursues the labor of each day. Remind him always of the blessings of your Word and sacraments, that until the end of his days he may grow in faith and bear much fruit.

C: To you, O Lord, we pray.

M: Continue to look with favor upon the work of our district and our synod. Raise up leaders who will defend the truth, speak in love, pursue the good, and ever follow your will. When the road proves difficult, or when troubles come, remind them to imitate the faith of their leaders, who spoke your Word faithfully to them.

C: To you, O Lord, we call for aid.

M: O LORD, God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven or on earth. As you have kept your covenant of grace to generations past, so keep it in generations to come. Hear us, for your mercy’s sake.

C: Amen.

BLESSING

M: The almighty and merciful Lord, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, bless us and keep us.

C: Amen.

BE SEATED

SERVING AT WORSHIP

Devotion Leader Pastor Mark Tiefel Abiding Word, Houston TX

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

“Come, Let us Praise the Lord” Text: Mark W. Tiefel. Tune: WINCHESTER NEW

15

The Holy God OvercomesThe Holy God OvercomesThe Holy God OvercomesThe Holy God Overcomes TUESDAY MIDDAY DEVOTION

REMAIN SEATED

PSALMODY Psalm 47

M: Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy.

C: How awesome is the LORD Most High, the great King over all the earth!

M: He subdued nations under us, peoples under our feet.

C: He chose our inheritance for us, the pride of Jacob, whom he loved.

M: God has ascended amid shouts of joy, the LORD amid the sounding of trumpets.

C: Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises.

M: For God is the King of all the earth; sing to him a psalm of praise.

C: God reigns over the nations; God is seated on his holy throne. 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.

HYMN Come, Now, Almighty King

Christian Worship 193

DEVOTION Joshua 6:12-20

Joshua got up early the next morning and the priests took up the ark of the LORD. The seven priests carrying the seven trumpets went forward, marching before the ark of the LORD and blowing the trumpets. The armed men went ahead of them and the rear guard followed the ark of the LORD, while the trumpets kept sounding. So on the second day they marched around the city once and returned to the camp. They did this for six days.

On the seventh day, they got up at daybreak and marched around

the city seven times in the same manner, except that on that day

they circled the city seven times. The seventh time around, when the

priests sounded the trumpet blast, Joshua commanded the people,

“Shout! For the LORD has given you the city! The city and all that is

in it are to be devoted to the LORD. Only Rahab the prostitute and all

who are with her in her house shall be spared, because she hid the

spies we sent. But keep away from the devoted things, so that you

will not bring about your own destruction by taking any of them.

Otherwise you will make the camp of Israel liable to destruction and

Many themes

of our Trinity

celebration

have strong

connections to

the Ascension.

Notice the ties

between this

psalm for

Ascension Day

and Hymn 193.

16

bring trouble on it. All the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron are sacred to the LORD

and must go into his treasury.”

When the trumpets sounded, the people shouted, and at the sound of the trumpet, when the people gave a loud shout, the wall collapsed; so every man charged straight in, and they took the city. PRAYER

M: Heavenly Father, send your Holy Spirit into our hearts, to direct and rule us according to

your will, to comfort us in all afflictions, to defend us from all error, and to lead us into all

truth; through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

C: Amen.

BLESSING

M: Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever!

C: Amen.

SERVING AT WORSHIP

Devotion Leader Pastor Nate Buege

Victory of the Lamb, Katy TX

Ephesians 3:20-

21

17

The Holy God BlessesThe Holy God BlessesThe Holy God BlessesThe Holy God Blesses CLOSING SERVICE

Installation of District Officers

REMAIN SEATED

PSALMODY Psalm 133-134

M: How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!

C: It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard, down upon the collar of his robes.

M: Praise the LORD, all you servants of the LORD who minister by night in the house of the LORD.

C: Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and praise the LORD.

M: May the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth, bless you from Zion.

C: For where the LORD bestows his blessing, there is life forevermore. 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.

HYMN Come Holy Ghost, Creator Blessed Christian Worship 177

SERMON Numbers 6:22-27

The LORD said to Moses,

“Tell Aaron and his sons, ‘This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them: the LORD bless you

and keep you;

the LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you;

the LORD turn his face toward you

and give you peace.

“So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.”

INSTALLATION OF OFFICERS

18

STAND

PRAYER

M: Almighty God, we praise you for the gift of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. We give thanks that you have kept your promise to be with us always and that you continue to provide leaders to your church on earth.

Use the gifts and energy of these brothers to proclaim your Word faithfully, to serve others by their zeal for your kingdom and to guide the Church in the wisdom of the gospel. May they serve diligently to safeguard the Church in times of trouble from all error and division and by their efforts stimulate peace and harmony.

Give them joy in their work among us, for Jesus’ sake, and bless their families and congregations during their times of service. May their efforts produce fruit among us to that the cross of your Son is held up before the world and many hear the word of salvation, peace, and blessing that is our through Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

C: Amen

LORD’S PRAYER

C: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins,

as we forgive those who sin against us.

Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power,

and the glory are yours now and forever. Amen.

BLESSING

M: The Lord bless you and keep you.

The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you. The Lord look on you with favor and (+) give you peace.

C: Amen.

REMAIN STANDING

CLOSING HYMN God of the Prophets

Christian Worship 543

BE SEATED

19

20

SERVING AT WORSHIP

Presiding Minister Pastor Jon Semro

Prince of Peace, Houston TX

Preacher Pastor John Koelpin

Calvary, Dallas TX

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Prayer: “Almighty God” Text copyright 2002 from Christian Worship: Occasional Service. Used by Permission.

21

ABOUT THE SERVICES

As the agenda of the 15th

Biannual convention of the South Central district took shape, several important items came to the surface: The pastors, teachers, and delegates of our district were asked to prayerfully consider many matters, among them new translation issues and the election of new leaders to our district. In these efforts, we meditate upon the inexpressible power of God. The themes of our conference worship all make connection to the Holy Trinity, whose festival we celebrated on Sunday, June 3. Texts for the services and devotions were selected stories from the lives of God’s Old Testament prophets, priests and kings, who encountered and were empowered the Holy God of Sabaoth.

• Opening Worship: In Isaiah 6, God’s prophet is transported in a vision before the divine throne and is overcome to know that The Holy God Speaks.

• Monday Devotion: In Exodus 6, God’s people are brought to know the plans which God will use to rescue them from Egypt. They are reminded The Holy God Saves.

• Tuesday Morning Praise: In 2 Chronicles 6, Solomon, the leader of Israel, humbly dedicates himself and the house he has built by reminding Israel The Holy God Hears

• Tuesday Devotion: In Joshua 6, The Children of Israel face the insurmountable walls of Jericho. They are to go forth with confidence, for The Holy God Overcomes.

• Closing Service: In Numbers 6, Israel is honored to receive the name of God. The meaning of God’s words to Aaron are clear: As Father, Son, and Spirit, The Holy God Blesses.

Hymns were generally selected from the “Holy Trinity” section of Christian Worship. “Hymns of the Liturgy” and “Canticles” were chosen to replace the liturgical songs of the Divine Service and Morning Praise.

To the One who sits on the throne and to the Lamb

be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever.

Amen.