BLC Chapel Sermons

Order of Service:

• Prelude
• Hymn 486 - The Church's One Foundation (View): vv. 1, 2, 3
• 1 Peter 4:12-14: Dear friends, do not be surprised by the fiery trial that is happening among you to test you, as if something strange were happening to you. Instead rejoice whenever you are sharing in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted in connection with the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.
• Devotion
• Prayer
• Hymn 486 - The Church's One Foundation (View): vv. 4, 5
• Blessing
• Postlude

Service Participants: Rev. Tim Hartwig, President, Bethany Lutheran Theological Seminary (Preacher), Laura Matzke (Organist)

Order of Service:

• Prelude
• Hymn 33 - We Now Implore God the Holy Ghost (View)
• Acts 2:29-36: “Men and brethren, let me speak freely to you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, He would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne, he, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption. This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses. Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear. “For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he says himself: ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool.” ’ “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”
• Devotion
• Prayer
• Hymn 28 - O How Holy is This Place (View): vv. 1, 4, 5
• Blessing
• Postlude

Service Participants: Rev. Prof. Brian Klebig (Preacher), BLC Chamber Orchestra (Musician), Naomi Anderson (Musician)

Order of Service:

• Prelude
• Prayer for Monday Morning, p. 168
• Hymn 402 - Holy Ghost, With Light Divine (View): vv. 1, 3, 4
• John 16:12-16: “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you. “A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me, because I go to the Father.”
• Devotion
• Prayer: P: At the beginning of the week I cry unto You, O holy Father, for the sake of Jesus Christ, that You would fill my heart and mind with Your Holy Spirit. C: Help us, O God, by Your Holy Spirit, for the sake of Jesus Christ, to keep Your Word in pure hearts, that we thereby may be strengthened in faith, perfected in holiness, and comforted in life and death. Amen.
• Hymn 401 - O Day Full of Grace That Now We See (View)
• Blessing
• Postlude

Service Participants: Chaplain Don Moldstad (Preacher), Micah Smith (Organist)

Order of Service:

• Prelude
• Luther's Morning Prayer (p. 36): In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. I thank You, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have kept me this night from all harm and danger; and I pray You to protect me this day also from sin and every evil, that all my doings and life may please You. For into Your hands I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the wicked foe may have no power over me. Amen.
• Hymn 57 - Evening and Morning, Sunset and Dawning (View): vv. 1, 2, 4
• Commentary: Paul Gerhardt will preach to us this morning through his hymns. Paul Gerhardt is the greatest German hymnwriter after Martin Luther. He lived through the difficult times of the Thirty Years War. Death took his wife and his children. Yet he writes hymns of dearest comfort and consolation, such as: Why Should Cross and Trial Grieve me? Gerhardt’s hymns are very personal and devotional, while at the same time also teaching the doctrines of the Christian faith. He thanks God for creation, for salvation, and for the consolation of the Holy Spirit. He prays for himself, the whole church, and the whole world.
• Hymn 52 - All Ye Who On This Earth Do Dwell (View): vv. 1 - 4
• Commentary: Gerhardt’s hymns take us through the whole life of Jesus our Savior. The next three hymns commemorate that Jesus was born, died, and rose again for our salvation. As we sing these three hymns, contemplate that Jesus was born for you, died for you, and rose again for you.
• Hymn 128 - Come, Your Hearts and Voices Raising (View): vv. 1, 3, 5, 7
• Hymn 304 - Upon the Cross Extended (View): vv. 1, 4, 12
• Hymn 341 - Awake, My Heart, With Gladness (View): vv. 1, 6
• Commentary: The work of the Holy Spirit is to bring us to spiritual life again because we are born dead in trespasses and sins. The Holy Spirit is given to us in baptism and lives within us throughout our life. He intercedes for us with our inexpressible groanings, when we don’t know how to put our prayers into words. We are forgiven for our sins. We are beloved by God through faith in Christ. We are children of God and our eternal home is in heaven.
• Hymn 400 - O Enter, Lord, Thy Temple (View)
• Commentary: When we pray in Jesus’ name, that is, with faith in Christ, God hears our prayers and answers them. He promises to guard and protect us, to keep us steadfast, and to bring us to heaven. We pray for ourselves, our family, and we join all Christians around the world in thanking God who is our Maker, Redeemer, and Comforter.
• Hymn 569 - Now Rest Beneath Night's Shadow (View): vv. 1, 4, 6
• The Benediction (p. 87)

Service Participants: Rev. Prof. Mark DeGarmeaux (Preacher), Kaleb Schmidt (Organist)

Order of Service:

• Prelude
• Blest are They D. Haas: Blest are they, the poor in spirit, theirs is the kingdom of God. Blest are they, full of sorrow, they shall be consoled. / All: Rejoice… Blest are they, the lowly ones, they shall inherit the earth. Blest are they who hunger and thirst; they shall have their fill. / All: Rejoice… Blest are they who show mercy, mercy shall be theirs. Blest are they, the pure of heart, they shall see God! All: Rejoice… Blest are they who seek peace; they are the children of God. Blest are they who suffer in faith, the glory of God is theirs. / All: Rejoice… Blest are you who suffer hate, all because of me. Rejoice and be glad, yours is the kingdom; shine for all to see. / All: Rejoice… (twice)
• Lamentations 3:18-26: And I said, “My strength and my hope have perished from the Lord.” Remember my affliction and roaming, the wormwood and the gall. My soul still remembers and sinks within me. This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope. Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I hope in Him!” The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him. It is good that one should hope and wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.
• Prayer
• Hymn 377 - Why Should Cross and Trial Grieve Me? (View): vv. 1, 2, 3, 4, 7
• Blessing
• Postlude

Service Participants: Rev. Shawn Stafford (Preacher), Andrew Wade (Instrumentalist), Caleb Schulte (Singer), Daryan Rosenthal (Singer), Rev. Prof. Dennis Marzolf (Pianist), Hannah Caauwe (Instrumentalist), Kaleb Schmidt (Singer)