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ALL SAINTS’ DAY
November 7, 2021
They Will Be Blessed
Today we lift our eyes from the present and focus them on the promises of God that will be fulfilled in the future. What a blessed day it will be when we will gather with all of Jesus’ holy ones around His throne in heaven! But today is also a blessed day. In Matthew 5, Jesus speaks blessings over a crowd gathered on a mountainside. Place yourself in that crowd today. Hear Jesus bless you also! Listen as He speaks of mercy, purity, and peace. And know this: Jesus does not simply speak of these blessings; He freely gives them to you! How blessed you are—today, tomorrow, and forever!
+ PREPARATION +
OPENING HYMN: #822 – Alleluia! Let Praises Ring
INVOCATION
Pastor: In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.
People: Amen.
CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION Matthew 5:8
Pastor: Blessed to be in God’s presence, let us confess our sins to Him.
We take a moment for silent prayers of confession.
Pastor: Let us pray.
People: Help me, Lord, for I am in great need! My sins are too many to count. My burdens are too heavy to carry. I call out to You for mercy! I ask for Your forgiveness, full and free. As the Father who loves me and sent Jesus to die for me, forgive me of my sins. By Your Holy Spirit, create in me a pure heart that I may worship You in the company of all Your saints. As Your Word has promised, bless me as Your own. Amen.
Pastor: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” You have been blessed by Jesus with the purity of heart that comes from sins forgiven. Now we see God with eyes of faith; one day, we shall see Him face-to-face. This is all because of His mercy, which He has poured out upon you and all who trust in Him. As your pastor, it is my privilege to announce this grace to you and, as He has commanded, I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.
People: Amen.
+ WORD +
INTROIT Psalm 31:1, 3, 5 (read responsively)
These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation.
They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
In you, O Lord, do I take refuge; let me never be put to shame;
in your righteousness deliver me.
For you are my rock and my fortress;
and for your name’s sake you lead me and guide me.
Into your hand I commit my spirit;
you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God.
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.
These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation.
They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
KYRIE
Pastor: In peace, let us pray to the Lord.
People: Lord, have mercy.
Pastor: For the blessing of peace from above and for the salvation of all the saints, let us pray to the Lord.
People: Lord, have mercy.
Pastor: For the peace of all creation, for the well-being of the communion of saints on earth, and for the unity of all those blessed by Jesus, let us pray to the Lord.
People: Lord, have mercy.
Pastor: For this holy house and for all the holy ones who offer here their worship and praise, let us pray to the Lord.
People: Lord, have mercy.
Pastor: Help, save, comfort, defend, and bless us, gracious Lord.
People: Amen.
SALUTATION and PRAYER OF THE DAY
Pastor: The Lord be with you.
People: And also with you.
Pastor: Let us pray.
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 lives of mercy, purity, and peace, that, together with all those whom You have blessed, we may come to the unspeakable joys You have in store for us in glory; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
People: Amen.
FIRST READING Revelation 7:2–4, 9–17
(The blessed ones surround the heavenly throne of God.)
2Then I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, with the seal of the living God, and he called with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm earth and sea, 3saying, “Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.” 4And I heard the number of the sealed, 144,000, sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel:…
9After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” 11And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”
13Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?” 14I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
15“Therefore they are before the throne of God,
and serve him day and night in his temple;
and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence.
16They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore;
the sun shall not strike them,
nor any scorching heat.
17For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd,
and he will guide them to springs of living water,
and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
Lector: This is the Word of the Lord.
People: Thanks be to God.
GRADUAL Revelation 7:14b; Psalm 84:5 (spoken together)
These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation.
They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
Blessèd are those whose strength is in you,
in whose heart are the highways to Zion.
EPISTLE 1 John 3:1–3
(The blessing of being God’s children)
1See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. 3And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.
Lector: This is the Word of the Lord.
People: Thanks be to God.
VERSE Hebrews 12:1a, 2a
Alleluia. Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us look to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith. Alleluia.
HOLY GOSPEL Matthew 5:1–12
(Jesus speaks blessings over His people.)
Pastor: The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the fifth chapter.
People: Glory to You, O Lord.
1Seeing the crowds, [Jesus] went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him.
2And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:
3“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
5“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
6“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
7“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
8“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
9“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
10“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
Pastor: This is the Gospel of the Lord.
People: Praise to You, O Christ.
HYMN OF THE DAY: #677 – For All the Saints
SERMON: They Will Be Blessed
Apostles’ Creed
I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life + everlasting. Amen.
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH
After each petition:
Pastor: … let us pray to the Lord:
People: Bless us with your mercy.
At conclusion:
Pastor: … through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
People: Amen.
LORD’S PRAYER Matthew 6:9–13
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 PRAYER
Pastor: Let us pray.
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. You bless us now by Your Word and Spirit. You will bless us for eternity with joy in Your presence. Grant us hearts to receive and share all the blessings You so freely give; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
People: Amen.
BENEDICTION Numbers 6:24–26
Pastor: 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 + give you peace.
People: Amen.
DISMISSAL
Pastor: Go in peace! Serve the Lord!
People: Thanks be to God.
CLOSING HYMN: #700 – Love Divine, All Loves Excelling
Creative Worship for the Lutheran Parish, Series B, Quarter 4. Copyright © 2021 Concordia Publishing House. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
