St. Paul's Evangelical-Lutheran Church

St. Paul’s Evangelical-Lutheran Church
holds unreservedly to the teachings of the Evangelical-Lutheran Confessions contained in the 1580 Book of Concord ( audio ). She understands this doctrine to be the correct interpretation of the Scriptures and a true (quia) exposition of the holy Christian Faith.

I rejoice with those who said to me, "Let us go to the House of the Lord." . . . 
Psalm 122:1

SUMMARY OF THE LUTHERAN LITURGY

The Lutheran Church is a "liturgical" church.

We follow a very orderly, and well-thought out form of worship. You may or may not be familiar with this, so we thought it would be helpful to give you a very brief summary of the Lutheran Liturgical Service. 

(Liturgical seasons and the sanctoral calendar may cause some variations in the common form of the service given below.) 

OUTLINE OF THE DIVINE SERVICE

Preparation

Entrance Procession Hymn

The Confession of sins

The Absolution (God's statement of forgiveness)

God's Service Of The Word

Introit, Kyrie (Lord have mercy), Gloria in Excelsis

THE READING, PREACHING AND SINGING OF THE GOSPEL

Our thankful response in Confession of Faith, prayer and offerings

God's Service Of Holy Communion 

Preface and Sanctus (Holy, Holy, Holy)

WORDS OF INSTITUTION WITH THE DISTRIBUTION

The Prayer of Thanksgiving 

The Lords Benediction (blessing)

Exit Procession Hymn

WE FOLLOW THE DAYS AND SEASONS OF THE CHURCH YEAR

Following the tradition of the early Christians we conduct God's Service on Sunday morning. 
Our service is at 9:30 a.m.

The Church regards Sunday as the 8th day, the day of a new creation. On the 6th day God finished his first creation, the 7th day he rested. On that day the Fall into sin also occurred and His creation was subjected to death. But God in His grace and mercy promised that the "Woman's Seed" would restore life to fallen man (Gen. 3:15). Compare that to Christ. On Good Friday he cried out, "It is finished!" to declare that he by his death paid in full the price of man's redemption. On Saturday he rested in the grave. On Sunday, the 8th day, he rose from the dead and restored life to fallen mankind. Thus Sunday becomes the day for New Testament Christians to worship, not just because Jesus rose, but also because it is the day of a "new creation". We enter this "day" through Holy Baptism and continue this "day" through preaching and the Sacrament (Holy Communion).

The Church Year Is Divided Into Two Parts:

Christmastide:

Advent - Season of repentance and fasting in preparation for Christ's coming

12 Days of Christmas - Christ's nativity, his circumcision, his epiphany by a star to the 
Magi and his baptism.

Epiphany - The "green Sundays" focus on Jesus as the "God who became flesh".

Eastertide:

Pre-lent and Lent - Season of repentance and fasting in preparation for Holy Week

Holy Week - Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday and Good Friday

50 Days of Easter - Christ's Resurrection, Christ's Ascension, Pentecost

The "green" Sundays after Pentecost - Celebrate the life-giving words and works of Christ.

Liturgical Colors Express The Spirit Of The Season In Which They Are Used:

White: Joy, victory

Purple: Sorrow, repentance

Red: Fire (Holy Spirit) and Blood (the struggle of discipleship)

Green: Life of Christ

Black: Christ's Death

Rose: A lessening of the Advent or Lenten Fast

Special services at st. Paul's . . . 

Sacrament of Holy Communion is celebrated in all Services unless noted otherwise:

Day Services start at 9:30 a.m.

Evening Services start at 7:00 p.m.

Christmas Season:

Christmas Eve Candlelight Service

Christmas Day Service

Lenten Season:

Services

Ash Wednesday Service with the imposition of ashes

Wednesday evenings, starting with Ash Wednesday and continuing through lent.

Holy Week:

Maundy Thursday Service 

Good Friday Service (1:00 p.m.); and meditations on the Stations of the Cross (7:00 p.m.) 

The Great Vigil of Easter (7:00 a.m.) 

Easter Service

Thanksgiving Day Service

We invite and encourage you to take advantage of these opportunities to meet your Lord and to receive his gracious blessings of forgiveness, life and salvation!

A MORE COMPLETE EXPLANATION OF OUR ORDER OF SERVICE

“God’s Service” is what we Lutherans have traditionally called what happens on Sunday morning, and it describes it well – God serves us with his gifts, and we respond in faith, praise and prayer. The term “worship: that is often used to describe the service does not give the whole picture. Worship is a secondary purpose of the service. Worship is what we offer God. The most important aspect to God’s Service, however, is that God gives us his gifts, and through these gifts the Holy Spirit gives us faith. The highest worship is faith, which responds in prayer and praise. The service, then, is indeed God’s work. He gives and enables us to receive. Dr. Martin Luther reminds us that forgiveness was won on the cross but we do not receive it there. Rather God dispenses his gifts through his Word preached and the Sacraments administered.

The Order of Service that we use at St. Paul’s Evangelical-Lutheran Church consists of three parts, which correspond to the ways God in Christ comes to us in Baptism, in the Word and in the Sacrament. These parts are labeled thePREPARATION, the GOD'S SERVICE OF THE WORD, and the GOD'S SERVICE OF HOLY COMMUNION. The common order is printed below. Sections in black italics provide an explanation, e.g., “ In Baptism God adopted us into his family.”. 'P:' and 'C:' indicate what is spoken by the Pastor and Congregation respectively. Texts in red, called rubrics, provide instructions, e.g. (Rise) . Bolded headings are the names the church has given to the various sections used within this Order of Service, e.g., OFFERTORY or Confiteor.

✠ The Common Order ✠ 

At the “✝” it is a laudable custom to cross yourself and at the “✦” to bow your head.

PREPARATION

Prayer is encouraged before Holy Mass. 

(Rise when the church bell sounds)

BELL

ENTERING PROCESSION HYMN

It is a laudable custom to face the cross and bow when it passes.

Hearts made alive by the Holy Spirit sing. Music is not only the domain of the expert but is the language of the Church. The Entering Procession Hymn will be chosen either to fit the theme of the day, or it may be a general hymn or one invoking the work of the Holy Spirit. The Congregation rises to sing this hymn, as this is the posture of confidence and joy; also to honor Christ, who now humbles himself to speak to us and act on our behalf through the mouth and hands of his ordained minister.

INVOCATION

P: In the name of the Father and of the ✝ Son and of the Holy Spirit.

C: Amen.

An invocative blessing and act of corporate devotion addressed to God. We formally express our awareness of the presence of God and invoke the divine blessing upon the service which is to follow.

In Baptism God adopted us into his family. In Baptism God put his Name- Father, Son and Holy Spirit- on us. In Baptism our sinful nature was drowned and a new man came forth, clothed in Christ. The font is indeed our “tomb and womb”. We appropriately begin the service by going back to our Baptism. The pastor, as at our Baptism, makes the sign of the holy cross over us. In Baptism we are buried with Christ into his death – we receive the benefit of that death: the forgiveness of sins, and we are also united with him in his resurrection. We receive a new life. Thus it is a laudable custom to cross yourself at this point in the service, and whenever the ✝ sign is found. Signing oneself with the cross preceded the use of a cross in the ancient church. The church responds with her: “Amen” – a Hebrew word meaning “truth”. God gives, we respond.

CONFESSION OF SINS

To confess is to acknowledge what you know to be true. From the Holy Scriptures we acknowledge that we have sinned in thought, word and deed, because we’ve been sinful from the moment we were conceived. And yet we also acknowledge that God is gracious and merciful and will forgive us for the sake of his Son Jesus Christ.

Exhortation

P: Beloved in the Lord, let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins to God our Father, asking him in the name of our Lord ✦ Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.

Our great High Priest and Reconciler is always ready to receive us. We approach without hypocracy to confess our depravity and beg His forgiveness.

Versicles

P: Our ✝ help is in the name of the Lord.

C: Who made heaven and earth.

P: I said, I will confess my transgressions to the Lord:

C: And you forgave the guilt of my sin.

Versicles are short passages of scripture intended to encourage devotion. Almighty God has assured his help and forgiveness to those who confess their transgressions. 

Confiteor   (I Confess) (Kneel)

C: O almighty God, merciful Father, I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess to you all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended you and justly deserve your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray you of your boundless mercy can for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of your dearly loved Son Jesus Christ to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor sinful being.

We confess that on our own we have nothing to offer. We bow before God in humility, confident of His great mercy to us in Christ. 

Absolution

P: Upon this your confession, I, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God to all of you. And in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ, I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the ✝ Son and of the Holy Spirit.

C: Amen.

In the name and in the stead of Christ, our pastor forgives our sins. The Lutheran Confessions teach that this Absolution is the “voice of God” and that the “voice of one absolving must be believed not otherwise than we would believe a voice from heaven.” Unconditional forgiveness is ours!

Historically, the Confession of sins was not a part of the service but was done privately and individually. Unlike in the Church of Rome private confession is not mandatory, nor is it required that we enumerate our sins. Rather we offer this “third Sacrament” for the sake of the Absolution, because of its individual application of forgiveness. The Lutheran Confessions teach that it would be “wicked to remove private absolution from the church.” Thus the members of St. Paul’s are encouraged to practice it. Rest assured, that your confession will be held in absolute confidence. The Pastor will never reveal it to anyone, since this is a confession to Christ, not to him.

GOD'S SERVICE OF THE WORD

It is a laudable custom during the Gloria Patri to bow at the name of the Holy Trinity, 
“Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.“

(Rise)

INTROIT    (Entrance)

Historically, this Psalm was sung “antiphonally” – the cantor sings the first line of the stanza; the choir or congregation responds with the second line. This reflects the “parallelism” of Hebrew poetry, where each stanza expressed parallel thoughts. Take Psalm 6 as an example: “O Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger / or discipline me in your wrath.”

KYRIE ELEISON    (Lord, have mercy)

P: Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, have mercy on us. Lord, have mercy on us.

The “Kyrie”, as it is called (Lord, have mercy) is the prayer of the Church for the blessings of her God, in whose presence She has now come.

GLORIA IN EXCELSIS    (Glory be to God on high)

P: Glory be to God on high.

C: And on earth peace, goodwill toward men. We praise you, we bless you, we ✦ worship you, we glorify you, we give thanks to you for your great glory, O Lord God, heavenly King, God the Father almighty. O Lord, the only begotten Son, ✦ Jesus Christ; O Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father, you take away the sin of the world; have mercy on us. You take away the sin of the world; ✦ receive our prayer. You sit at the right hand of God the Father; have mercy on us. 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.

“Gloria in Excelsis”, the great hymn of praise immediately follows the Kyrie. For in the absolution we heard the voice of God and with grateful hearts we sing with angels the song first heard in the skies over Bethlehem. Dr. Luther reminds us that “the Gloria in Excelsis” did not grow, nor was it made on earth, but it came down from heaven.” Faith expresses itself in praise, praise in the strictest sense, praise which extols God. It is not an expression of my emotions but a proclamation of who God is and what he has done.

SALUTATION

P: The Lord be with you.

C: And with your spirit.

Addressed to man not God. The Salutation constitutes a reciprocal prayer of the minister for his people and of the congregation for its pastor before they unitedly offer their petitions to God. They renew the ties of faith and common purpose in further acts of prayer.  

The pastor petitions the Lord to be in the hearts and minds of the congregation. The congregation responds with the petition that by the power of the Holy Spirit the minister's spirit would be entirely faihful and true.

It's also sometimes referred to as “the little ordination” – the assurance that the pastor has the authority to act in the stead of Christ, for God is with him by virtue of his ordination. 

Note that the Salutation will be repeated several times throughout the service.

COLLECT    (A united prayer of the entire congregation. This collect is the chief prayer of the day)

P: Let us pray ….

C: Amen

“Collect” originally referenced those assembled for worship and is now properly considered a prayer of the collected faithful. The Collect not only serves to join the faithful then present but with the faithful of all times and places. It binds the faithful of all times in a common purpose and desire.

(Be seated)

OLD TESTAMENT READING

P: The Word of the Lord.

C: Thanks be to God.

GRADUAL

A chant to provide a musical connection and cover movement between the reading which was originally sung from a “gradus” or step of the altar.

EPISTLE READING

P: The Word of the Lord.

C: Thanks be to God.

With confession and prayer, together we are now prepared to hear God in his Word. Throughout the year portions of Scripture are read to cover the theme for each Sunday. 

VERSE

Also know as the “Alleluia” is a song of joy and triumph. Early Christians used “alleluia” as an acclamation of faith and joy.

SALUTATION

P: The Lord be with you.

C: And with your spirit.

P: The continuation of the Gospel of our Lord and Savior ✦ Jesus Christ according to St. (Mathew/Mark/Luke/John).

C: Glory be to you, O Lord.

GOSPEL READING

P: The Gospel of our Lord.

C: Praise be to you, O Christ.

In the reading and preaching of the Gospel of the day we come to the first “high point” of the Service. It begins with the Verse. That Christ will come and speak now to his people leads the church to respond with her “alleluia” – the Greek transliteration of the Hebrew “hallelujah!” meaning, “Praise the Lord!”

Christ is coming we were told in the Old Testament Reading. Indeed, he comes and we hear his voice in the living Gospel. To show the “Word made flesh” dwells with us in his Gospel, the Pastor may read it in the midst of the congregation, and, after introducing it, we stand and sing, “Glory be to you, O Lord” – a fitting greeting for the Incarnate One, whom we shall not simply hear about, but actually hear. The Gospel is read and we in joy sing, “Praise be to you, O Christ.”

SERMON

Also known as “preaching of the Gospel”, since its function is to deliver the Gospel to those who are present. Clearly this is not entertainment or even education (although we do learn), but it is a time of proclamation and application. Here the Law of God is proclaimed, which law accuses, convicts, condemns and kills. Here the Gospel is proclaimed, which Gospel absolves, forgives, redeems and makes alive. Thus the sermon prepares for the Sacrament; it forms a bridge between the Gospel in the Word and the Gospel in the Sacrament.

CHIEF HYMN

This is the only hymn, which is not sung to cover up movement in the service, but rather its purpose is to proclaim the Gospel that was read and preached.

CREDO    (Nicene Creed)(Rise)

P: I believe in one God.

ALL: the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is seen and unseen. I believe in one Lord, ✦ Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father. Through Him all things were made. For us men and for our salvation, He came down from heaven, ✦ was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary, and was made man. For our sake He was crucified under Pontius Pilate. He suffered and was buried. On the third day He rose again in accordance with the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven and is seated on the right hand of the Father. He will come again with glory to judge the living and the dead, and His kingdom will have no end 

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who in unity with the Father and the Son is ✦ worshiped and glorified, who hbas spoken through the prophets. I believe one holy Christian and apostolic Church. I acknowledge one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins. I look for the resurrection of the dead and the life ✝ of the world to come. Amen.

Having heard the Word of God, the church repeats what She heard, as She confesses with the whole Church the one, true Faith. This is what we believe. The creed is not a prayer, but a confession of our Faith before God and the world. The sign of the cross may be made at the end indicating the cross or persecution that the Christian must bear because of his confession, the cross of which Jesus spoke when he told his disciples to “take up the cross and follow me.” This is the creed for which some have given up their lives. Also in the creed we have an instrument to check the orthodoxy of what the pastor preaches. This is the reason why it is placed after the sermon.

PRAYER OF THE CHURCH    (the ancient missa fidelium)

Each collect ends collect with, “Lord, in your mercy.” after which the congregation replies, “Hear our prayer.”.
It continues in this fashion untl the last collect:
Gracously receive our prayers, deliver us and preserve us through ✦ Jesus Christ Your Son, our Lord, Who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Prayer is repeating back to God in faith what he has said to us. He has through the mouth of his ordained minister said that we are his forgiven children in Christ; that as such he loves and will care for us and so will cause all things to work for our good. Therefore we now respond by asking him for his care and blessings. The Prayer of the Church, which we recite in “litany” form (the pastor speaks the petition; the congregation responds in faith, “Hear our prayer”), is based on St. Paul’s admonition to Timothy, “I urge you, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone- for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness ” (1 Timothy 2:1-2).

C: Amen(Be seated)

OFFERING

The offering is not simply a collection so that we can pay the bills. We give “from”, not “to”. We give from a heart of love and dedication and from what God has given us in proportion to our faith and our blessings. The offering is an act of worship. Money is not a dirty subject in the church, but a tangible means of showing our faith and love; it is an acknowledgement that all we have comes from God and it is the means by which we support the Gospel ministry. Historically, during this time both the monetary gifts, as well as gifts of food for the poor and the gifts of bread and wine to be used in the Lord’s Supper, were brought up to the chancel and laid on the Altar.

GOD'S SERVICE OF HOLY COMMUNION

OFFERTORY

This is always a portion of the 51st psalm and directs all present to prepare for what is to come. It's evidence that the Word just heard has been received and is effective in us. We offer ourselves to God that He may cleanse our hearts from sin, deepen our faith, and prepare us to receive His body and blood.

At this time the bread and wine are brought into the sanctuary and placed on the Altar to be consecrated for use in the Sacrament.

PREFACE

Salutation
(Rise)

P: The Lord be with you.

C: And with your spirit.

Sursum Corda    ("Lift up your hearts")

P: Lift up your hearts.

C: We lift them up unto the Lord.

Vere Dignum    ("Truly fitting")

P: Let us give thanks to the Lord, our God.

C: It is good and right so to do.

This is called the “preface”. With these brief but majestic phrases we have a solemn introduction, which leads us to the heart of the service. This is the oldest and least changed part of the liturgy, used universally by the church since AD 220.

The “little ordination” is repeated, as again the pastor is about to act in the stead of Christ. We are then asked to “lift up our hearts”, for we have no reason to fear the God whom we are about to approach in this Sacrament, since he comes to bless us. The use of the plural is purposeful; we are gathering as one body to receive the Body of Christ. Solemnly we acknowledge the appropriateness of thanks for the blessings we are about to receive.

P: It is truly good, right and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to you, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God (seasonal response). Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify your glorious name, evermore praising you and saying:

Sanctus    ("Holy, Sacred") (Kneel)

C: ✦ Holy, holy, holy Lord God of heavenly hosts: heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he, blessed is he, ✝ blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna in the highest!

We are asked to give thanks for this great gift we are about to receive. The name “Eucharist” comes from the Greek word for “thanks”. In one of the most sublime and comforting portions of the liturgy we join with all Christians in heaven and on earth to sing this song the angels sing in heaven, called the “Sanctus”. This song also incorporates the song with which Jesus was greeted when he entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. “Hosanna!” – “Lord, save us!” For the Son of David is coming to be with us and to give himself to us in the Sacrament!

EUCHARISTIC PRAYER    ("Communicants ask God to accept the sacrifice of themselves at his Altar.")

P: Almighty God, our heavenly Father, from Your tender mercy You gave Your only Son, Jesus Christ, to suffer death upon the cross for our redemption. By the one oblation of Himself, once offered, He made there a full, perfect and sufficient sacrifice, oblation and satisfaction for the sins of the whole world. And in His Holy Gospel, He instituted and commanded us to celebrate a perpetual remembrance of His precious death until He comes again.

Acknowledging to God both what Jesus did on the cross for us and what he does in and through the Sacrament, we pray that he will send the Holy Spirit with the gift of faith to embrace Christ’s real, physical presence under the consecrated bread and wine.

VERBA CHRISTI    ("Words of Christ. Words of Institution")

The Pastor continues and chants:

For 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 and said: “Take, eat; this is My body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.” 
The Pastor genuflects, then elevates the Host, after which he genuflects a second time.

In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” 
The Pastor genuflects, then elevates the Cup, after which he genuflects a second time.

The Lutheran Confessions in speaking about the consecration quote Luther: When in the Supper we say, according to (Christ’s) institution and command: ‘This is my Body,’ it is his Body, not on account of our speaking or word uttered (because these words, when uttered have this efficacy), but because of his command – that he has commanded us thus to speak and do, and has united his command and act with our speaking.” Here the true Body and true Blood of Christ are present, distributed and received for the forgiveness of sins. In early Lutheranism, when the liturgy was sung in its entirety, the Verba (words of institution) were sung in the same key as the Gospel to show that the Sacrament is pure Gospel. The Eucharistic Prayer now continues:

Therefore, O Lord and heavenly Father, according to the institution of Your dearly beloved Son, our Savior Jesus Christ, we Your humble servants celebrate and make here, before Your divine majesty, with these Your holy gifts, the commemoration Your Son has willed us to make. Remembering His blessed Passion, mighty Resurrection and glorious Ascension, we give You most hearty thanks for the innumerable benefits which He has procured for us.

And of Your almighty goodness we most humbly beseech You, O merciful Father, to hear us. And send down Your Holy Spirit upon us and upon Your gifts of bread and wine, and bless them and hallow them; and show that this bread is the precious Body of our Lord and God and Savior Jesus Christ; and this cup is the precious Blood of our Lord and God and Savior Jesus Christ, which was shed for the life of the world.

Earnestly desiring Your fatherly goodness, mercifully to accept this our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving: we most humbly beseech You to grant that, by the merits and death of Your Son Jesus Christ, and through faith in His Blood, we and Your whole Church may obtain remission of our sins and all other benefits of His Passion.

And here we offer and present to You, O Lord, ourselves, our souls and bodies, to be a reasonable, holy, and lively sacrifice unto You. We humbly beseech You that all who partake of this Holy Communion may worthily receive the most precious Body and Blood of Your Son Jesus Christ, and be filled with Your grace and heavenly benediction, and being made one body with Him, may dwell in Him, even as He dwells in them.

And although we are unworthy, because of our many sins, to offer You any sacrifice; yet we beseech You to accept this our bounden duty and service. And command that our prayers and supplications, by the ministry of Your holy angels, may be brought to Your holy tabernacle before the sight of Your divine majesty, not weighing our merits but pardoning our offenses through Christ our Lord. Amen.

ANAMENSIS

P: Remembering, holy Father, his life-giving Passion and Death, his Resurrection from the dead, and his glorious Ascension into heaven, we celebrate the sacrifice of your Son, our Lord, by means of his holy Supper. Join our prayers with those of your servants of every time and place, and unite them in the ceaseless petitions of our great High Priest, until he comes again in power and great glory as victorious Lord of all.

The “Prayer of Remembrance”, also called the “Anamnesis” – from the Greek meaning “remembrance”, together with the “Acclamation” is to honor the command of our Lord, who said, “Do this in remembrance of me – that is, with faith in all that I have done for you. ”’

ACCLAMATION    ("A confession that Jesus is the Son of God.")

P: Through him, with him, in him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is yours, almighty Father, now and forever.

C: Amen.

PATER NOSTER    ("The Lord's Prayer")

P: Taught by our Lord and trusting his promise, we are bold to pray:

C: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed by thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily Bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from ✝ evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.

We are about to kneel at the Lord’s Table to receive his Body and Blood, and so we pray our “Table Prayer” – the one perfect prayer for the one perfect meal, since the Lord himself gave it to us.

EMBOLISM    ("'an addition or insertion', in this case an addition to The Lord's Prayer")

P: Deliver us, O Lord, we beseech you, from every evil past, present and to come; and graciously grant peace in our days by Your compassionate aid, we may ever be free from all sin and sheltered from all turmoil, through ✦ Jesus Christ, you Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, One God, world without end.

C: Amen.

A prayer beseeching Christ to deliver us from all evil, which he promises to do for all who receive this Holy Feast in faith.

PAX DOMINI    ("The Peace of the Lord")

P: The peace of the Lord ✝ be with you always.

C: Amen.

When our resurrected Lord came to his disciples who were huddled behind locked doors for fear of the Jews, he drove away their fear with his word of peace. This peace comes from the forgiveness of sins, which appeases God’s wrath and restores us into a loving relationship with him again. And since this forgiveness, won on Calvary, is given in the Sacrament, so is this peace.

AGNUS DEI    ("Lamb of God")

P: Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.

C: O Christ, Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world; have mercy on us. O Christ, Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world; have mercy on us. O Christ, Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world; grant us your peace. Amen.

When St. John the Baptizer saw Jesus at the Jordan he identified him as “the Lamb of God” – the fulfillment of the Passover lambs – “who takes away the sin of the world.” The Lamb of God is now present on the Altar to do this very thing and in so doing to have mercy on us and grant us his peace.

(Be seated)

We have now come to the second “high point” of the service. In the preaching of the Gospel Christ is put into our ears. In the Sacrament he is put into our mouths.

Reception in the Lord’s Supper indicates unity in confession and faith. If you have not communed at St. Paul’s Altar previously, please refrain from receiving the Lord’s Supper until you have spoken to the pastor. 
Holy Communion is the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ for the repentant sinners to eat and to drink. Those who partake of this Sacrament show publicly that they agree with the teachings believed, taught and confessed by the Pastor and the congregation at which the Sacrament is distributed. St. Paul's Evangelicall-Lutheran Church holds unreservedly to the teachings of the Evangelical-Lutheran Confessions contained in the 1580 Book of Concord. She understands this doctrine to be the correct interpretation of the Scriptures and a true exposition of the holy Christian and Apostolic Faith. Members in good standing of churches that publicly believe, teach and confess the Evangelical-Lutheran Faith are invited to commune at St. Paul's. If you have not publicly confessed the Evangelical-Lutheran Faith and have yet to speak with the Pastor of St. Paul's to inform him of this, we ask that you please refrain from receiving the Lord's Supper at St. Paul's until you have been instructed in and publiclly assent to the teachings of the Evangelical-Lutheran Church.

DISTRIBUTION OF CHRIST’S BODY AND BLOOD

Dr. Luther, in answer to the complaint that one doesn’t need the Sacrament because one has all ready been forgiven in the Absolution, said, “So what! To receive God’s Word in many ways is so much better.” We look at ourselves in the light of God’s Law and we look at what is being offered in this precious meal, and we have our answer as to whether we should approach the Lord’s Table or not.

The properly instructed, prepared and penitent approach the Lord’s Table; the pastor places the Body of Christ on outstretched tongues and gives them to drink of the Blood of Christ. The sign of the holy cross may be made at the dismissal as a physical reminder that I have received Christ and the benefits of his redemptive work.

DISTRIBUTION HYMN

NUNC DIMITTIS    ("'now lettest thou depart', from the prayer of Simeon")(Rise)

C: Lord, now let your servant depart in peace according to your word. For my eyes have seen our Salvation, which you have prepared before the face of all people, a Light to lighten the Gentiles and the glory of your people Israel!

Promised by the Holy Spirit that he would not die until he had seen the Lord’s Christ, the prophet Simeon sang this song, as he held the Christ-child in his arms. Now he could depart- that is die- in peace. We, too, have seen and touched and even tasted Christ by means of this Sacrament. Thus we may depart in peace, even if that means death itself.

POST COMMUNION COLLECT

P: O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.

C: And his mercy endures forever.

PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING

It is fitting that we give a prayer of thanks to the Lord, who has refreshed our bodies and souls by means of this holy Sacrament. Dr. Luther said that as Christ has offered himself, his very Body, to us, so the Christian offers himself, his very body, to his neighbor. “As we have eaten and drunk the Body and Blood of Christ, we in turn say the same words to our neighbor – take, eat and drink – and this by no means in jest, but in all seriousness, meaning to offer yourself with all your life, even as Christ did with all that he had. If it is necessary for me to die for you, I will even do that.”

DISMISSAL    ("The last of the Salutations as explained above.")

P: The Lord be with you.

C: And with your spirit.

God who was preached into you and fed you is going out with you.

BENEDICAMUS    ("Let us bess the Lord")

P: Bless we the Lord.

C: Thanks be to God.

BENEDICTION    ("Aaronic benediction: 'with his blessing.")

P: 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 his favor and ✝ give you peace.

C: Amen. Amen. Amen.

SILENT PRAYER

At the beginning of the service we were reminded that the Lord put his name on us at our Baptism. He redeemed us and we became his possession, no longer the possession of Satan. At the end of the service God again puts his name on us and we respond with a triple “Amen” for the bountiful blessings of the Triune God. The Father has blessed us in Christ through the Holy Spirit in Baptism, in the preaching of his Word, and in the Sacrament of Holy Communion. Renewed, refreshed and strengthened in the forgiveness of sins, we go back out into the world to resume our various callings.

RETIRING PROECSSION HYMN

It is a laudable custom to face the cross and bow when it passes.

The congregation stands to thank and honor the Christ who served his people 
through the mouth and hands of his ordained minister.