The Service in PDF format is at: 03-04-2020 – Service
Midweek of Lent 1
March 4, 2020
Vespers
“Denying Eyes”
“Tell me, ye who hear Him groaning, Was there ever grief like His? Friends through fear His cause disowning, Foes insulting His distress.” When Jesus predicted that all His disciples would be scattered when the Good Shepherd was struck down, they vehemently denied that they would forsake Him. But as always, the Lord’s Word comes to pass, and Peter goes so far as to deny that he even knows Jesus. But Jesus will not deny the will of His Father, and He steadfastly takes up His cross and lays down His life for sinful deniers like Peter and us.
Stand as you are able
L: O Lord, open my lips,
C: and my mouth will declare Your praise.
L: Make haste, O God, to deliver me;
C: make haste to help me, O Lord.
C: 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.
Praise to You, O Christ, Lamb of our salvation.
OPENING HYMN: “Great Is Thy Faithfulness” TOSB 55
“Great is Thy faithfulness,” O God my Father,
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not,
As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.
“Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness!”
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided
“Great is Thy faithfulness,” Lord unto me!
Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above,
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness mercy and love.
“Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness!”
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided
“Great is Thy faithfulness,” Lord unto me!
Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
Thy own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!
“Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness!”
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided
“Great is Thy faithfulness,” Lord unto me!
Sit
READINGS
FIRST READING 2 Timothy 2:8-13
Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel, 9 for which I am suffering, bound with chains as a criminal. But the word of God is not bound! 10 Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. 11 The saying is trustworthy, for:
If we have died with him, we will also live with him;
12 if we endure, we will also reign with him;
if we deny him, he also will deny us;
13 if we are faithless, he remains faithful—
for he cannot deny himself.
L: O Lord, have mercy on us.
C: Thanks be to God.
HOLY GOSPEL Mark 14:26-31, 66-72
26 And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. 27 And Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away, for it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’ 28 But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.” 29 Peter said to him, “Even though they all fall away, I will not.” 30 And Jesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” 31 But he said emphatically, “If I must die with you, I will not deny you.” And they all said the same.
66 And as Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came, 67 and seeing Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, “You also were with the Nazarene, Jesus.” 68 But he denied it, saying, “I neither know nor understand what you mean.” And he went out into the gateway[a] and the rooster crowed.[b] 69 And the servant girl saw him and began again to say to the bystanders, “This man is one of them.” 70 But again he denied it. And after a little while the bystanders again said to Peter, “Certainly you are one of them, for you are a Galilean.” 71 But he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, “I do not know this man of whom you speak.” 72 And immediately the rooster crowed a second time. And Peter remembered how Jesus had said to him, “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” And he broke down and wept.
L: O Lord, have mercy on us.
C: Thanks be to God.
RESPONSORY
L: Deliver me, O Lord, my God, for You are the God of my salvation.
C: Rescue me from my enemies, protect me from those who rise against me.
L: In You, O Lord, do I put my trust, leave me not, O Lord, my God.
C: Rescue me from my enemies, protect me from those who rise against me.
L: Deliver me, O Lord, my God, for You are the God of my salvation.
C: Rescue me from my enemies, protect me from those who rise against me.
SERMON HYMN: “Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing” TOSB 33
Come, thou fount of every blessing, Tune my heart to sing thy grace;
Streams of mercy, never ceasing, Call for songs of loudest praise.
While the hope of endless glory Fills my heart with joy and love,
Teach me ever to adore thee; May I still thy goodness prove.
Here I raise my Ebenezer, Hither by thy help I’m come;
And I hope, by thy good pleasure, Safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger Wand’ring from the fold of God;
He, to rescue me from danger, Interposed his precious blood.
Oh, to grace how great a debtor Daily I’m constrained to be;
Let that grace now like a fetter Bind my wand’ring heart to thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it; Prone to leave the God I love.
Here’s my heart, oh, take and seal it; Seal it for thy courts above.
“Denying Eyes” Mark 14:26-31, 66-72
Stand as you are able
LORD’S PRAYER
C: Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be 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.
L: O God, whose glory it is always to have mercy, be gracious to all who have gone astray from Your ways and bring them again with penitent hearts and steadfast faith to embrace and hold fast the unchangeable truth of Your Word; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C: Amen.
COLLECT FOR LENT
L: Almighty and everlasting God, You despise nothing You have made and forgive the sins of all who are penitent. Create in us new and contrite hearts that lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness we may receive from You full pardon and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C: Amen.
COLLECT FOR PEACE
L: O God, from whom come all holy desires, all good counsels, and all just works, give to us, Your servants, that peace which the world cannot give, that our hearts may be set to obey Your commandments and also that we, being defended from the fear of our enemies, may live in peace and quietness; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C: Amen.
L: The grace of our Lord + Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
C: Amen.
HYMN: “Abide with Me” LBW 272 (v. 1, 4 & 5)
Abide with me, fast falls the even tide
The darkness deepens; Lord with me abide.
When other helpers fail and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless, oh, abide with me.
I fear no foe, with thee at hand to bless;
Ills have no weight, and tears no bitterness.
Where is death’s sting? Where, grave, thy victory?
I triumph still, if thou abide with me!
Hold thou thy cross before my closing eyes,
Shine through the gloom, and point me to the skies;
Heav’n’s morning breaks, and earth’s vain shadows flee
In life, in death, O lord abide with me.