We rejoice to have our Festival Choir, led by Mr. John Jordan, complimenting our song of praise and thanksgiving. The choir will assist in singing the psalmody, hymnody, and liturgy.
Within the liturgy for each Lord’s day, we receive the Word of God through uniquely appointed readings, psalms, hymns, and prayers. For October and November, we will be using Divine Service Setting Five from Lutheran Service Book when we receive the Lord’s Supper.
This setting is based on Luther’s German Mass (1526), which uses classic Lutheran hymns in place of the canticles. Luther composed or revised Latin hymns for each part of the Ordinary, the pillars of the Divine Service that we ordinarily use every week. These include hymns for the Kyrie Eleison, Gloria in Excelsis, Creed, Sanctus, and Agnus Dei. Listen to these hymns here to prepare for Sunday.
Saints Are Blessed in the Eternal Presence of Christ
“A great multitude from all tribes and peoples and languages,” cry out “salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne” (Rev. 7:9–17). Faith-filled saints from every place and time with unified voices eternally magnify the Lamb of God. As His beloved children, we too, “shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:1–3). Joined with the throng of angels and a myriad of saints, we shall “serve him day and night in his temple” (Rev. 7:9–17). In our earthly tension vacillating between saint and sinner, faith and doubt, sacred and profane, we earnestly seek Jesus to calm our fears, comfort our spirits, and forgive our sins. The Holy Spirit, through faith in Christ, propels us forward, fortifying us in Word and Sacrament, to our eternal home. In the midst of our constant struggle as believers, we need to be blessed. And so we are. The poor in spirit, the meek, the hungry, the thirsty, the merciful, the pure, and the persecuted are all blessed and we will most certainly inherit the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 5:1–12).
Collect of the Day: Almighty and everlasting God, You knit together Your faithful people of all times and places into one holy communion, the mystical body of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Grant us so to follow Your blessed saints in all virtuous and godly living that, together with them, we may come to the unspeakable joys You have prepared for those who love You; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Readings:
First Reading: Revelation 7:9-17 Epistle: 1 John 3:1-3 Holy Gospel: Matthew 5:1-12
