Pastor: Wayne C. Eichstadt

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WELCOME in the name of the Lord our God—a name we bless with our whole heart, soul, and mind, giving thanks to Him for all His benefits!

Pre-Service Meditation: Psalm 103

Pre-Service Prayer:

Hymn: 246 ~ Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty

Pastor: This morning’s worship service is the opportunity for the second "Group of 6" confirmands to publicly present some of the truths of Scripture which they have learned, and to which they will next week promise their faithfulness in the Confirmation service. They will do this through presentations they have prepared and also through recitation of some of the 6 chief parts of Luther’s Small Catechism.

As did last week’s worship service, our worship this morning uses Psalm 103 as the framework. The theme of Psalm 103 is a call to worship and praise the Lord—a cry to our souls to BLESS THE LORD because of who He is and what He has done! Truly there is SO MUCH for which our souls can be lifted up to sing and praise our God. This morning, following the lead of the confirmands, we will be reminded of some of those blessings.

You will be able to follow our progress through Psalm 103 with the printed passages in the bulletin, but to provide you with the setting and the whole psalm of praise, the confirmands will now King David’s words of praise in Psalm 103.

Pastor: Bless the Lord, O my soul;

Groups 1 & 2: And all that is within me, bless His holy name!

Pastor: Bless the Lord, O my soul,

Groups 1 & 2: And forget not all His benefits:

Group 1: Who forgives all your iniquities,

Group 2: Who heals all your diseases,

Group 1: Who redeems your life from destruction,

Group 2: Who crowns you with loving kindness and tender mercies,

Pastor: Who satisfies your mouth with good things,

So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

Groups 1 & 2: The Lord executes righteousness

And justice for all who are oppressed.

He made known His ways to Moses,

His acts to the children of Israel.

The Lord is merciful and gracious,

Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.

He will not always strive with us,

Nor will He keep His anger forever.

He has not dealt with us according to our sins,

Nor punished us according to our iniquities.

For as the heavens are high above the earth,

So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him;

As far as the east is from the west,

So far has He removed our transgressions from us.

As a father pities his children,

So the Lord pities those who fear Him.

For He knows our frame;

He remembers that we are dust.

As for man, his days are like grass;

As a flower of the field, so he flourishes.

For the wind passes over it, and it is gone,

And its place remembers it no more.

But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting

On those who fear Him,

And His righteousness to children’s children,

To such as keep His covenant,

And to those who remember His commandments to do them.

The Lord has established His throne in heaven,

And His kingdom rules over all.

Pastor: Bless the Lord, you His angels,

Group 1: Who excel in strength, who do His word, Heeding the voice of His word.

Pastor: Bless the Lord, all you His hosts,

Group 2: You ministers of His, who do His pleasure.

Pastor: Bless the Lord, all His works, In all places of His dominion.

Groups 1 & 2: Bless the Lord, O my soul!

Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits:

Jonathan Krueger

God shows His love by creating our eyes, ears, and all bodily members, which were given to us in the beginning of our lives. In Genesis 2:7, the Lord says, "And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being." God also shows His love by creating light and darkness. If there was no light, it would be hard to see what God created for us to see and use. God loves us by giving us all our property and everything we have on earth. God also preserves and protects us.

God preserves us by giving us such things as a house to live in, food, job, money in our pockets, clothes to wear. God preserves us by giving us all things which He created, for he gave these to support our bodies. God says in Psalm 104:14, "He causes the grass to grow for the cattle, and vegetation for the service of man, that he may bring forth food from the earth." If God didn’t preserve us, everything would die because it would be hard to get food, no protection from the weather, and everything would fall apart and the sun would burn us up or the earth would freeze from being too far away from the sun. When sin entered the world and made it wicked, God sent a flood by causing it to rain for 40 days and 40 nights. Even then God preserved Noah and his family. After the Flood, God promised in Genesis 8:22 "While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest and cold and heat and winter and summer and day and night shall not cease."

The reason we get sick and die is because sin entered the world. God still promises to preserve our soul through this life and bring us to eternal life. For all of this we can bless the Lord. If God does all of this then we should bless God.

The word "bless" means to praise and glorify the Lord in everything we do. We bless the Lord because we want to thank Him for our gifts, with which He preserves us. It also means that every part of our daily lives we shall serve or work to the glory of the Lord. Such as doing our job with the skills he gives us, the same with school. "All that is within me" means that our heart and soul should praise God’s holy name. We should bless the Lord’s name through everything we do!

Alyssa Kellogg

God gives us prayer to help us in our every day needs. It is how we communicate to God like children speak to their father. You can pray for anything. You can pray to praise, thank, or even just talk to God. You can pray for courage, forgiveness, faith, and love. God said in Thessalonians, "Pray without ceasing." Which means you should pray every day, pray for whatever, whenever. God will listen.

We pray for help in trouble and to be heard. For God said, "Call upon me in the day of trouble I will deliver you and you shall glorify me." God will help us with more than just trouble. God also asks for us to pray for forgiveness. Even as believers, no one can keep the 10 commandments perfectly. Pray to God for every need of body and soul.

The Lord has shown us that He will hear our prayers. Why does it seem he does not always answer? God does hear them, but He likes to do things his own way. Out of love for us he does what is best for us. He answers every believer’s prayer. For God said, "The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayers; but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil. No matter what happens after we pray, God will help. We may not see it sometimes but he will always give you faith and spiritual blessings. He will give you everything you need to help you through this life.

You only need a simple prayer. Pray from the heart and with gladness to God. Not because you have to. God will be there to hear your prayers. Pray for forgiveness, faith, courage, and wisdom to help you face the challenges of this world. Pray every day at any time for anything. Pray with love for God and each other. Always be willing to accept what God decides for you. Just as Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, "Not my will but yours be done."

RECITATION: The Lord’s Prayer

"Our Father, who art in heaven."

What does this mean?

With these words God tenderly encourages us to believe that He is our true Father and we are His true children, so that we may ask Him boldly and with complete confidence as dear children ask their dear father.

"Hallowed be Thy name."

What does this mean?

God’s name is certainly holy all by itself, but we pray in this petition that we also keep it holy.

How is God’s name kept holy?

God’s name is kept holy when the Word of God is taught in its truth and purity, and we as children of God also live a holy life according to it. Help us do this, dear heavenly Father.

But whoever teaches and lives contrary to the Word of God dishonors God’s name among us. Keep us from doing this, heavenly Father.

"Thy kingdom come."

What does this mean?

God’s kingdom certainly comes all by itself, even without our prayer, but we pray in this petition that it also come to us.

How does the kingdom of God come?

God’s kingdom comes when our heavenly Father gives us His Holy Spirit, so that by His grace we believe His holy Word and live a godly life here in time and hereafter in eternity.

"Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven."

What does this mean?

God’s good and gracious will is certainly done without our prayer, but we pray in this petition that it be done among us also.

How is God’s will done?

God’s will is done when He breaks and stops every evil will and plan of those who do not want us to hallow His name or let His kingdom come, such as the will of the devil, of the world, and of our own flesh. His will is also done when He gives us strength and keeps us firm in His Word and in faith for as long as we live. This is God’s good and gracious will.

"Give us this day our daily bread."

What does this mean?

God gives daily bread without our asking, even to unbelievers, but we pray in this petition that He would teach us to realize this and to receive our daily bread with thanksgiving.

What is meant by daily bread?

"Daily bread" means everything we need for our bodily well-being. It includes food, drink, clothes, shoes, house, home, land, animals, money and goods, a godly husband or wife, godly children, godly workers, godly and faithful leaders, good government, good weather, peace, health, education, honor, faithful friends, trustworthy neighbors – and things like that.

"And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us."

What does this mean?

We pray in this petition that our Father in heaven would not look on our sins or deny our prayer because of them. We are not worthy of things for which we are asking, neither have we deserved them. However, we ask that our Father would by His grace give us what we ask; even though we sin often every day and indeed deserve nothing but punishment. We, too, will from our hearts gladly forgive and do good to all those who sin against us.

"And lead us not into temptation."

What does this mean?

God indeed tempts no one; but we pray in this petition that He would guard and keep us so that the devil, the world, and our flesh do not deceive us or lead us into misbelieve, hopelessness, or any other shameful or sinful acts; and, although we are tempted by them, we ask that we win in the end and keep the victory.

"But deliver us from evil."

What does this mean?

We pray in this petition that our Father in heaven would deliver us from every evil to body and soul, property and reputation, and finally, when our last hour comes, give us a joyful end and graciously take us from this valley of sorrows to Himself in heaven.

"For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen."

What does "Amen" mean?

"Amen" means that I should be certain that these petitions are really heard by the Father in heaven; for He Himself has instructed us to pray in this way and promised that He will hear us. "Amen! amen!" that is, "Yes, indeed, it shall be so!"

HYMN: Keep on Asking, He will Give

Christian praise your gracious Lord!

____________

MacKenzie Friedrichs

Paul writes in Galatians, "We through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith" (Galatians 5:5). This saving faith is what the Holy Spirit creates in our heart. Nicodemus came to Jesus by night and said that no one could do the miracles which Jesus did, unless God was with him. Jesus replied and said, "Unless someone is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God" but whoever believes in God for the forgiveness of sins should not perish but have everlasting life. The Holy Spirit uses the means of Grace, which is the Gospel in Word and sacraments to create faith in people.

The Holy Spirit brought us out of darkness of sin into His marvelous light. Paul writes in Romans, "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Romans 5:1). A gift of God is our peace we have with Him. We are called by the Gospel and enlightened by the Holy Spirit with His gifts to give us the assurance of Christ’s forgiveness. Living in that assurance, we will want to give fruits of faith.

Paul writes in Galatians, "If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit" (Galatians 5:25). A fruit of faith in the sight of God is a good work which flows from faith in Christ. It is a result of our love for Jesus and is a work which conforms to God’s will. Our Savior delights to see people who believe in Him do what He says out of love for their Savior. However, our fruits of faith are not perfect and we still need to be kept in faith.

According to the will of God and the faith we have in Him, our gracious Savior calls us by the Gospel to be with Him in His eternal glory. Out of the Gospel, the Holy Spirit strengthens and preserves us so we do not lose our faith or give in to temptation. The apostle Peter writes in 1 Peter, "You are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time" (1 Peter 1:5).

I believe that God has created me and all creatures. He has given me my body and life, eyes, ears, and all my bodily members, my mind, and all my senses and still keeps them for me.

God also preserves me by richly and daily providing clothing and shoes, food and drink, house and home, spouse and children, land, animals, and all my property and all I need to support this body and life. He protects me from all danger. He guards and defends me from every evil.

God does all this because He is my good and gracious Father in heaven,

not because of anything I have done to earn or deserve it.

For all of this it is my duty to thank, praise, serve, and obey Him.

This is most certainly true.

He has redeemed me, a lost and condemned person, purchased and won me from all sin, from death, and from the power of the devil, not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood and His innocent suffering and death.

He did this that I should be His very own, live under Him in His kingdom, and serve Him in eternal righteousness, innocence, and joy; just as He is risen from death, lives and reigns in eternity.

This is most certainly true.

Congregation: I believe in the Holy Ghost; the Holy Christian Church, the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen.

But the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified, and kept me in true faith.

In the same way He calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian Church on earth and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith.

In this Christian Church He daily and richly forgives all sins to me and all believers.

On the Last Day He will raise me and all the dead and give to me and all believers in Christ eternal life.

This is most certainly true.

HYMN: 629 ~ Let Children Hear the Mighty Deeds

Today is "Singing Sunday." In the historic division of the Sundays in the church year, today—the 5th Sunday of Easter—is known as Cantate Sunday...Latin for "SING" to the Lord (cf: Psalm 98 et. al.) As we have already heard, (and will hear more of following this message), we have a great deal for which we can SING to the LORD and BLESS HIS HOLY NAME.

One needs only look back into history to find the Lord’s guiding hand. Many do not see it because they are too preoccupied with looking at themselves. They are too preoccupied with looking to the things of this earth; but to those who use the light of God’s Word to truly look at anything that has passed they can and will see every good reason to bless the name of our God!

The psalmist, King David, declares that God had made known His ways to Moses and His acts to the Children of Israel. God continues to make known His ways to us, and His acts also to us. When we know His ways and view His acts there are two great truths that we can learn: One about ourselves and one about Him.

The first thing we would observe as we consider the ways and acts of God is WHO He is. It is what the Children of Israel observed when they saw God in action. They knew and saw God as a holy God, a God of justice, a God who demanded perfection. "I am the Lord, that is My name. My glory I will not give to another nor my praise to graven images" (Isaiah 42:8) — I and only I AM GOD!! I AM He who created you! I AM He who preserves you! I AM your Maker and I expect you to be perfect just as I am perfect (cf: Leviticus 11:44); and I will deal justly with you in all things. So He did!

When we consider a holy and just God in comparison to ourselves, we learn something very sad about ourselves. We learn that we are sinners. As David says in the psalm, "...we are dust. As for man, his days are like grass; As a flower of the field, so he flourishes.For the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more" (Psalm 103:14ff).

As Moses and the Children of Israel thought back to the very beginning of time they could see the power and the might and the wisdom of God in creation; but then they also knew how sin entered into the world and how immediately Adam and Eve (like the true sinners they had become) tried to blame someone else. They knew how the wickedness grew and grew on the earth, until finally God in His judgment sent a flood to destroy the earth and everything in it.

Then when it came to their history as a nation, again, the Children of Israel could see how God’s acts. The would recall how He had thundered His will for them from Mt. Sinai. They would remember how they had had promised, "Yes, Lord, all that You have said we will do!" (cf: Exodus 19:8). They promised, but did not keep the promise. God’s ways proved faithful. His people’s ways did not.

Therefore, as God made His ways known to Moses and His acts to the Children of Israel, again and again they saw His faithfulness and again and again and again they complained in the wilderness. They rebelled against God, "Why have you taken us out here? To kill us in the desert??!?" (cf: Exodus 14:11 et. al.) They rebelled and sinned against the God who had shown His ways to them so graciously.

Throughout Israel’s history, as well as through our own, when we consider the righteous ways of God; when we see His judgments and His acts that are holy and pure and compare them to our lives, we find our miserable failures. We know what the result of that failure is. It is DEATH. For God had told Adam and Eve, "In the day you eat of it, you will SURELY die!" (Genesis 2:17).

After sin entered the world we hear that Adam begot sons in his — Adam’s—likeness. In the genealogy of Genesis chapter 5, we hear (like a tolling bell) the words "...and he died...and he died...and he died..." Death, now and eternally, is the judgment of a righteous God upon our sin.

If this were the only truth we could learn from the ways of God and His acts, we would not be blessing the Lord . Rather, we would be crying in hopeless and helpless despair. But when David describes us as "dust" He prefaces that with two remarkable words: "He [God] remembers that we are dust..." God knows our state. He knows our sin. He knows how frail we are and so "His mercy is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him" (Psalm 103:17).

Sin entered the world — God promised a Savior. God destroyed the earth because of its sin — He preserved Noah and his family in the ark so that He could provide a Savior through the human race. Through all the complaining and all the ups & downs in the nation of Israel, did God bring judgment against Moses and the people? YES! Moses, because of his sin, was not even able to enter the Promised Land! Judgment? Yes, but in that judgement also mercy for His mercy was from everlasting to everlasting. God remained faithful, forgiving the sins of all who put their trust in Him.

As we consider God’s acts toward the Children of Israel we see Him faithfully leading them into the Promised Land, prospering them as a kingdom, and then in the fullness of time sending Jesus to be the Savior and to bring full and free forgiveness, life and salvation (cf: Galatians 3:4f).

We have the mercies of our Lord. They are new every morning (cf: Lamentations 3:23) Consider the ways of God and His acts toward YOU. How many times has He not forgiven you for the same sin of which you had repented earlier and said you’d never do it again? How many times has He come to you in His Word assuring you "I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:20)? How often does He not come to you, strengthening you through the work of the Holy Spirit to give you courage to go forward in this life with the sure promise of eternal life waiting for you in heaven . These are the ways and acts of the LORD your God! These are what He has done and still does for your salvation.

Moses and the Children of Israel were witnesses to the merciful ways and acts of the Lord. Yet, there grew generations in Israel who did not know the ways and acts of God. The people turned away and forgot. In this confirmation season , as we see another year pass and another set of confirmands prepare for their vows next week, we remind them and ourselves: "DON’T FORGET!" The Lord remembers your frailty , He provides His mercy. Don’t forget His mercy, but rejoice in all of His wonderful and gracious acts which He does for you. Rejoice in His ways which have promised and given you salvation, and which assure you that He will bring you safely to Your heavenly goal.

REJOICE! BLESS THE LORD O MY SOUL! Rejoice and bless Him for you are His beloved children. His ways and His acts prove it!! Amen.

Hymn: 785 ~ Children of the Heavenly Father

James Busse

The keys are a gift and privilege from Jesus to use the Means of Grace to unlock the kingdom of heaven by forgiving ones sins to those who are penitent. Jesus also gave the believers in Him the power to declare the sins of certain people "not forgiven." In that way, believers lock the kingdom of heaven to those who are not sorry for their sins or do not believe in Jesus for forgiveness. Jesus Christ has given the keys to everyone who believes in Him. Jesus said to the disciples in Matthew, "Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." Therefore, we all have the power of the keys.

A Christian congregation publicly administers the keys through its pastors. Paul writes in Ephesians, "And Christ Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers." A pastor does his work because God has instructed him to go to the congregation that has called him to do certain things in their name and in their behalf. These include forgiving the sins of the people, serving communion, baptisms, visiting the sick and elderly, and things like that.

God uses His law to show us that our lives are sinful and we deserve eternal damnation. But by the Gospel we see that God loves us dearly and has sent a Savior for us.

We should confess ALL of our sins to God, even the ones we don’t know we have committed as the Bible says in Psalms, "Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from secret faults." We also should confess to one another those sins which are troubling our hearts and conscience. We should confess to one another because our fellow Christians are able to tell us of the good news of the Gospel and use the keys to forgive our sins.

RECITATION: Office of the Keys & Confession

The Office of the Keys is the special power Christ gave to His Church on earth to forgive the sins of penitent sinners and to retain the sins of the impenitent as long as they do not repent.

The holy evangelist John writes in chapter 20: "[Jesus] breathed on [His disciples] and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained’" (John 20:22,23)

A Christian congregation, with its pastor, uses the keys according to Christ’s command, either by forgiving those who repent of their sins and are willing to change, or by excluding those who are obviously impenitent from the Christian congregation. These actions are as valid and certain in heaven also as if Christ our dear Lord were dealing with us Himself.

There are two parts to confession. One is that we confess our sins. The other is that we receive absolution, or forgiveness, from a fellow Christian as from God Himself, not doubting, but firmly believing that our sins are forgiven in this way before our heavenly Father.

Before God we should plead guilty of all sins, even those we don’t know we have done, as we do in the Lord’s Prayer. However, before one another we should confess only those sins which we know and feel in our hearts.

Examine your place in life according to the Ten Commandments. Have you been faithful as a father, mother, son, daughter, employer or employee? Have you been disobedient, unfaithful, or lazy? Have you injured anyone by what you have said or done? Have you stolen anything, neglected your duty, been careless, or damaged anything?

He will say, "According to the command of our Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen."

Our Lord Jesus Christ on the Thursday night before He died, took bread, prayed for thanks, and split it and gave the bread to His disciples saying, "Take eat; this is my body which is sacrificed for you. Eat it in remembrance of Me.

Then He took a cup of wine, gave his thanks, and gave it to the disciples saying, "this cup is the new testament in my blood which is poured out for you for the forgiveness of sins. Do this, as often as you drink in remembrance of me.

It is the Word of God that makes the Sacrament what it is and distinguishes it from ordinary bread and wine. In the Sacrament, a communicant receives Christ’s body and blood with the bread and wine for the forgiveness of sins. The Word causes Christ’s body and blood to be present in the Sacrament.

To prepare for the Lord’s Supper you need to recognize your sins, repent of them, and seek to never do them again. When we go to receive this holy blessing, we go prepared to listen to the Word and gladly hear and learn it. But we also need to not forget that we should remember the shedding of Jesus’ blood and his death, just as He taught us, "Do this in remembrance of Me." Another thing you should remember when receiving the Lord’s Supper is that you know WHAT you are receiving, that it is Christ’s body and blood, not just the bread and the wine. You are truly ready to receive the Lord’s Supper when you have faith in these words, "Given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins."

With the Lord’s Supper, God strengthens your faith and soul. We often grow faint and weak and sometimes even stumble as the Devil, the world, and our own sinful flesh confront us with their many obstacles and temptations. The Lord’s Supper is given to refresh and strengthen us so that faith doesn’t become weak in battle but stays strong. It is for the hard times when we’re under heavy pressure that he comfort of the Lord’s Supper comes into play. That’s where we find refreshment and renew our strength. Trusting in what God says and promises, we can be sure of His blessing in the Sacrament whenever we receive the Lord’s Supper, not just in the hard times.

RECITATION: The Lord’s Supper

It is the true body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, given to us Christians under the bread and wine to eat and to drink, as it was instituted by Christ Himself.

The holy evangelists Matthew, Mark, Luke, and the apostle Paul write this way: "Our Lord Jesus Christ, the same night in which He was betrayed, took bread; and, when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to His disciples saying, ‘Take, eat. This is My body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of Me.’

"In the same way He took the cup, after supper, gave thanks, and gave it to them saying, ‘Drink of it, all of you. This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.’"

The words, "Given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins," show us that God gives forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation through the Sacrament. For where there is forgiveness of sins, there is also life and salvation.

Eating and drinking actually do nothing. It is the words, "Given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins" which do this. These words, together with the bodily eating and drinking, are the main part of the Sacrament. Whoever believes these words has exactly what they say: forgiveness of sins.

Customs in connection with eating and clothing are indeed a fine preparation. However, a person is truly worthy and well prepared who has faith in these words, "Give and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins." Whoever does not believe these words or doubts them is unworthy and unprepared. The words, "for you," require nothing but believing hearts.

Ann Hartman

"The kingdom of God is not food and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit" (Romans 14:17). This is how Paul describes the kingdom of God in Romans. God's kingdom is His gracious rule for the spiritual blessing and well-being of His people. God's kingdom comes whenever the Gospel is preached and the Holy Spirit works faith in sinners' hearts. The Kingdom of God also comes when the Holy Spirit strengthens faith in believers' hearts. As believers, God's kingdom is in our hearts.

God sent Jesus to die for us, so we could join Him in heaven. In order for Jesus to die for us He had to humble Himself by setting aside His divine honor and glory for a time. After Jesus suffered, died, and rose, God gave Him authority, power, dominion, and His name above every name that is named, not only then, but forever. Paul says in Philippians 2:9-11, "God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow, of those in heaven and of those on the earth and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." This exaltation of Christ is now and forever. In His exaltation Jesus uses His divine powers fully.

After Jesus rose from the dead, He spoke to His disciples saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth" (Matthew 28:18). With this authority, Christ rules over all things. Christ sits at the right hand of God and uses His power as a PROPHET when He preaches God's Word through the Bible; as a PRIEST when He prays for us; and as a KING when He rules over us.

When God says that Jesus is sitting at the Right hand of God it also means that He is preparing a place for us and waiting. Jesus says in John, "In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am there you may be also" (John 14:2-3).

Now Jesus sits at the right hand of God. He watches and rules over us here in time and hereafter in eternity.

__________________

O Jesus, our risen and everlasting Savior, all glory, honor, and praise to You for giving us the victory over death, the Devil, sin, and hell! O Lord and Savior, we praise You for the privilege of prayer which God has given us in your name; for Your intercession for us at God’s throne; for Your never-failing presence in our lives and constant protection; for Your gift to us of the Spirit; for the washing of our sins in Baptism, and our communion with You in the Holy Supper; for Your help in troubles, as well as Your healing of our illnesses; and for Your comfort to ease our sorrows. We thank and praise You for the home that You are preparing for us in heaven and Your promise to come again and receive us to Yourself; for the hope of the resurrection from the dead; and for the forgiveness of al our sins and the hope of everlasting life. For these and all other blessings may our tongues be loosed to speak and to sing Your praise now and in eternity.

Precious Redeemer, through the Spirit, fill us with a desire to feed spiritually upon You, the true Bread of Life. Make Your Word sweeter than honey to our taste, and let it nourish our faith. Make Yourself known as the "Bread of Life" to the spiritually starving nations of the world as You cause the Gospel to be preached to them.

And we also thank and praise You for having blessed Edna Schweim with 90 years of grace. Thank you for the many blessings you have shown her throughout her life, as well as those blessings you have brought to others through her life. Continue to be with her throughout the remaining time of the days you have numbered for her. Keep her strong in the true faith, preserving her in body and soul unto Your heavenly kingdom.

All these things we ask to the glory of Your saving name. Amen.

Congregation (sings): Amen! Amen! Amen!

HYMN: 341 (st. 1,3,4,5) ~ Crown Him with Many Crowns!