Worship Order – Service of Holy Communion ~ 8:00am
September 14, 2025 ~ Holy Cross Sunday
Prelude
Announcements
Opening Dialogue (Introit and Gloria Patri)
L The Lord has made known his salvation:
His righteousness he has shown openly in the sight of the nations.
C O sing unto the Lord a new song; For he has done marvelous things:
His right hand, and his holy arm, have gotten him the victory.
L He has remembered his mercy and his truth toward the house of Israel:
All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
C Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all the earth:
Make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise.
L Sing unto the Lord with the harp;
With the harp, and the voice of a psalm.
C With trumpets and sound of cornet
Make a joyful noise before the Lord, the King.
L The Lord has made known his salvation:
His righteousness he has shown openly in the sight of the nations.
C Glory be to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Processional Hymn Lift High the Cross, LBW 377, v. 1-3
Apostolic Greeting (2 Corinthians 13:14)
Kyrie p. 78 LBW
Hymn of Praise p. 81 LBW
Prayer of the Day
Merciful God, Your Son, Jesus Christ, was lifted high upon the cross that He might bear the sins of the world and draw all people to Himself. Grant that we who glory in His death for our redemption may faithfully heed His call to bear the cross and follow Him, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Children’s Sermon
First Reading Numbers 21:4–9
4 From Mount Hor they set out by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom. And the people became impatient on the way. 5 And the people spoke against God and against Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this worthless food.” 6 Then the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died. 7 And the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you. Pray to the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. 8 And the Lord said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.” 9 So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live.
The Word of the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
Second Reading 1 Corinthians 1:18–25
18 For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.” 20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. 22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
The Word of the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
Gospel Acclamation p. 83 LBW
Gospel John 12:20–33
P: The Holy Gospel according to St. John the 12th Chapter.
C: Glory to you, O Lord.
20 Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks. 21 So these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” 22 Philip went and told Andrew; Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. 23 And Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25 Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.
27 “Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. 28 Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” 29 The crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” 30 Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not mine. 31 Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. 32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” 33 He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die.
The Gospel of the Lord.
C: Praise to you, O Christ.
Sermon
Hymn of Day The Glory of the Cross (see insert)
Nicene Creed p. 84 LBW
Prayers of God’s People p. 85 LBW
Offering
Offertory The Doxology (564)
Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, Ye heav’nly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost
Offertory Prayer p. 87 LBW
The Great Thanksgiving p. 88 LBW
Proper Preface
It is indeed right and salutary, our duty and our joy, always and everywhere to give you thanks, holy Father, almighty and eternal God, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Today we celebrate with songs of praise the cross, the victory-sign of Christ, and your faithfulness in this congregation, named in its honor. As once through the fruit of the forbidden tree we fell into death, now through the tree of the cross our Savior raises us to everlasting life, making the instrument of His own shameful death a throne of glory. The power of the life-giving cross reveals the judgement that has come upon the world in the triumph of Christ crucified. And so, with angels and archangels, cherubim and seraphim, and with all the heavenly host, we praise your name and join their unending hymn:
Sanctus p. 89 LBW
Eucharistic Prayer 33 p. 90 LBW
The Lord’s Prayer & Invitation p. 91 LBW
Agnus Dei (Lamb of God) p. 92 LBW
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world;
Have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world;
Have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world;
Grant us peace, grant us peace.