The Ascension of Our Lord 21 May A+D 2020 Welcome in Jesus’ name! We pray God’s richest blessings on your receiving of His Word this holy day in this unusual setting. We look forward to the day when we will be able to gather again in church as one body to be nourished by our heavenly Groom, Christ Jesus!

The Extinguishing of the Paschal Candle The Paschal Candle is lit at the first celebration of Christ’s Resurrection during the Easter Vigil. It shines during the 40 days after Easter as a reminder of Christ’s resurrection and visible presence with His disciples. It has been traditional in the Church to extinguish the candle on Ascension to indicate that Jesus is no longer visible to the disciples. But of course, Jesus is still with His people as He promised, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Through the remainder of the church year the Paschal Candle will be lit for both baptisms and funerals. At baptisms this candle, which is a reminder of Christ’s resurrection, is lit to indicate that through baptism we share in Christ’s death and resurrection (Romans 6). At funerals the Paschal Candle stands between the pall draped coffin and the altar indicating that the righteousness and resurrection of Christ, given to us in Holy Baptism and received by faith, delivers us to life everlasting.

THE DIVINE SERVICE SETTING THREE Preservice Music Ringing of the Bell Stand. The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism. P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit. C Amen. P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness. P Our help is in the name of the Lord, C who made heaven and earth.

P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord, C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.

Silence for reflection on God’s Word and for self-examination. P O almighty God, merciful Father, C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved 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 and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.

P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto 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 T Son and of the Holy Spirit. C Amen. + Service of the Word + Psalm 47 PAUL GRIME Antiphon sung first by cantor, then repeated by all.

Clap your hands, all | peoples!* Shout to God with loud | songs of joy! For the LORD, the Most High, is | to be feared,* a great king over | all the earth. He subdued peoples | under us,* and nations un- | der our feet. He chose our heritage | for us,* the pride of Jacob | whom he loves. Antiphon, sung by all Sing praises to God, sing | praises!* Sing praises to our King, sing | praises! For God is the King of | all the earth;* sing praises | with a psalm! God reigns over the | nations;* God sits on his | holy throne. The princes of the peoples gather as the people of the God of | Abraham.* For the shields of the earth belong to God; he is highly ex- | alted! Glory be to the Father and | to the Son* and to the Holy | Spirit; as it was in the be- | ginning,* is now, and will be forever. | Amen. Antiphon, sung by all

Kyrie LSB 186

Gloria in Excelsis LSB 187

Salutation and Collect of the Day

P Almighty God, as Your only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, ascended into the heavens, so may we also ascend in heart and mind and continually dwell there with Him, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Old Testament Reading ...... 2 Kings 2:5-15 A This is the Word of the Lord. C Thanks be to God.

Epistle ...... Acts 1:1-11 A This is the Word of the Lord. C Thanks be to God.

Alleluia Verse (Psalm 47:5; 68:18a) Triple Alleluia sung by all

God has gone up | with a shout, the LORD with the sound of a | trumpet.

Triple Alleluia sung by all You ascend- | ed on high, leading a host of captives | in your train. Triple Alleluia sung by all Holy Gospel ...... Luke 24:44-53

P The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the 16th chapter.

P This is the Gospel of the Lord.

Nicene Creed C I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth and of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of His Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made; who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate. He suffered and was buried. And the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures and ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of the Father. And He will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead, whose kingdom will have no end. And I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified, who spoke by the prophets. And I believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church, I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins, and I look for the resurrection of the dead and the life T of the world to come. Amen.

Hymn 494 See, the Lord Ascends in Triumph

Sermon LSB 192

Prayer of the Church The 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. Closing Collect A Let us pray. Lord Jesus Christ, giver and perfecter of our faith, we thank and praise You for continuing among us the preaching of Your Gospel for our instruction and edification. Send Your blessing upon the Word, which has been spoken to us, and by Your Holy Spirit increase our saving knowledge of You, that day by day we may be strengthened in the divine truth and remain steadfast in Your grace. Give us strength to fight the good fight and by faith to overcome all the temptations of Satan, the flesh, and the world so that we may finally receive the salvation of our souls; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. C Amen. Benediction LSB 183 P The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you. The Lord look upon you with favor and T give you peace. C Amen.

Te Deum LSB 223

Acknowledgments Divine Service, Setting Three from Lutheran Service Book Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2018 Concordia Publishing House

Our Savior LUTHERAN CHURCH & SCHOOL A member congregation of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod

616.949.0710 www.oursavior-gr.org Church: 2900 Burton St SE School: 1916 Ridgewood Ave SE Grand Rapids, MI 49546 Grand Rapids, MI 49506 Pr. Jeremy M. Swem, Pastor, Cell: 644.8338 Kara Harbaugh, Principal Pr. David C. Fleming, Assoc. Pastor, Cell: 516.2945 Christina Roberts, Kantor Pr. North P. Sherrill, Assoc. Pastor, Cell: 581.8353 Artwork by Mr. Edward Riojas from Ecclesiastical Art,  2004 Higher Things, Inc. Used by permission.