#28 Where are Our Sins? Sunk in the Depth of the Sea, Never To Be Found Again

The other scene presents to us Christ no longer in woe and misery, weighed down with the ponderous mass of our sins, which God has laid upon Him, but beautiful, glorious and rejoicing; for all the sins have disappeared from Him. From this we have a right to conclude: If our sins, on account of the sufferings of Christ, lie no longer upon us, but are taken from our shoulders by God Himself and placed upon His Son, and if on Easter, after the resurrection, they are no more to be seen, where then are they? Micah truly says: They are sunk into the depth of the sea, and no devil nor any body else shall find them again. This article of our faith is glorious and blessed; whoever holds it not is no Christian; yet all the world reviles, slanders and abuses it. The Pope and his cardinals generally treat even this narrative as a fable to be laughed at; they are full-grown Epicureans, who smile with scorn when told of an eternal life to come. Our nobility, our burghers and our peasants also, believe in a future life, rather from custom than from true conviction, else they would act otherwise and not busy themselves solely with the cares, honors and employments of this temporal life, but would rather seek after that which is eternal. But we may preach and explain as we will, the world regards it all as foolishness. Thus we see that this article meets with opposition on every side; even they who possess and believe the Word of God do not take it to heart as earnestly as they should.
If we desire to be true Christians it is necessary for us firmly to establish in our hearts through faith this article, that Christ, who bore our sins upon the cross and died in payment for them, arose again from the dead for our justification. The more firmly we believe this, the more will our hearts rejoice and be comforted. For it is impossible not to be glad when we see
Christ alive, a pure and beautiful being, who before, on account of our sins, was wretched and pitiable in death and in the grave. We are now convinced that our transgressions are removed and forever put away. (Luther’s House Postil, First Easter Sermon, The Power and the Benefit of the Resurrection of Christ Matthew 28:1-10, Volume 2, p. 489-490)

Easter Divine Service – March 31, 2024

Order of Divine Service I, p. 136  Lutheran Worship
Hymn “Christ the Lord is Risen Again” TLH 190
Readings:  Isaiah 52:13-15, 1 Corinthians 5:6-8, St. Mark 16:1-8
Hymn of the Day: “Christ Jesus Lay in Death’s Strong Bands” (The Augustana Service Book and Hymnal #29, LW 123, TLH 195)
Sermon
Offertory: “Create in Me…”         p.18
Easter Prayer
Hymn: “Draw Near and Take the Body of the Lord” LW #240
Exhortation                                    p.21
Communion Service, p.144 (Lutheran Worship) Communion Hymns:
“Awake, My Heart, with Gladness” LW 128, TLH 192
“At the Lamb’s High Feast We Sing” LW 126
“The Day of Resurrection” LW 133, TLH 205
Closing Hymn “Christ the Lord Is Risen Today; Alleluia” LW 137, TLH 193

–Michael D. Henson, Pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church (Herrin, IL).
Service Bulletin:  Easter-Divine-Service-for-Online-3-31-2024.pdf


Picture:  The Luther Bible 1534: Revelation 19 – The Victory Over Babylon, #978

Adult Bible Class – March 31, 2024

–Michael D. Henson, Pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church (Herrin, IL).

Handout:  Easter-Study.pdf

Picture:  This baptismal font is made of one solid piece of wood.  It dates to around 1675, which is as old as congregation, the Church of the Immaculate Conception(Kaskaskia Island, IL). Our congregation participated in a Christmas Country Church Tour on December 14, 2023.

Easter Sunday Matins – March 31, 2024

Order of Matins, p.208 Lutheran Worship
Office Hymn “Welcome, Happy Morning” LW 135, TLH 202
Psalmody:  Psalm 92, 1, 2, 3, 99
Readings:  1 Corinthians 15:1-25, St. John 20-1-18
Sermon
After Benedicamus, Paschal Blessing, LW p.244-249

–Michael D. Henson, Pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church (Herrin, IL).
Service Bulletin: Easter-Dawn-Psalms-Full-Page-2024.pdf

https://vimeo.com/929201611?share=copy
Picture:  The Luther Bible 1534: Revelation 15-16 – Seven Angels, #972

Thanksgiving after the Communion 1.

GLORY be to Thee, my Lord and my God, for thus feeding me with Thy most blessed body and blood! Let This heavenly food impart new life and vigor to me, and to all who communicate with me, that our faith may increase daily, that we may become humble and contrite for our sins, may love Thee, serve Thee, delight in Thee, and praise Thee, more fervently and constantly than we have ever done before; O Thou, Who with the Father livest and reignest, ever one God, world without end. Amen. (Oremus, 1925, p.149).

Picture: Palm Sunday at Trinity Lutheran Church (Herrin, IL)

Matins Holy Saturday – March 30, 2024

Order of Matins, p.208  Lutheran Worship
Psalmody:  Psalm 51, 92, 64, Canticle of Hezekiah, Psalm 150 (insert)
Readings:  1 Peter 3:17-22, St. Matthew 27:57-66
Hymn of the Day: “Ere Yet the Dawn Hath Filled the Skies” (The Augustana Service Book and Hymnal #28)
Sermon
Benedictus, p.217

–Michael D. Henson, Pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church (Herrin, IL).
Service Bulletin: Holy-Saturday-Psalm-Full-Page-3-30-2024.pdf

https://vimeo.com/928915092?share=copy
Picture:  The Luther Bible 1534: Revelation 15-16 – Seven Angels, #972

#27 The Old Adam, An Advocate of Evil, Is Always Accompanying Us

We ever have near us an advocate of evil, whether we eat or drink, whether we are asleep or awake, even our own flesh, the old Adam. He accompanies us to bed and arises with us in the morning; he pleads unceasingly and eloquently, with the fixed purpose of estranging us from Christ and His Gospel. This advocate of evil whom we constantly carry about with us, and whose habitation is in our hearts, is ever intent on exciting us to become rich and great in the world, and sways us with the delusion that we have neither occasion nor time to go to the Sacrament. If we heed his lying counsels we will grow colder and colder in our love towards Christ and His gifts; yea, though we might even daily hear His word, this cunning tempter within us will bring it to pass that we do so merely outwardly, while in reality our devotion is a sham, and our thoughts are engaged with the business of this world. Show me the avaricious man who grows weary of his passion! Is it not rather time that the covetous man becomes fonder and fonder of his idols from day to day, cherishing and pursuing with eagerness avarice and usury? The same is true in regard to other sins. The lewd person delights in his unchastity; he thinks and speaks about it with evident glee, and indulges in his wicked passion more and more. Such are the results of the instructions which the old Adam gives: they lead to destruction.

Christ desires to counteract the sinister influence of the old seducer within us, who would fix our attention alone and chiefly on temporal things. Christ instead would have us he mindful of eternity, of Himself, our Saviour, who died for us upon the cross. He would fain have us see our foolishness, so that we would gladly come unto Him, weary of our depraved life exclaiming: O Lord, we know how sinful we are, and how unable to resist the allurements of evil, therefore we cry unto Thee for help; enable Thou us to shun the world and to love Thee truly. We stand in daily need of such remembrance of Christ in opposition to this pernicious advocate, this old Adam within us, who clamors about our ears day and night, hoping to plunge us, beyond all help, into the cares and pleasures of this world.  (Luther’s House Postil, First Sermon for The Day of the Lord’s Supper. The Holy Sacrament 1 Corinthians 11:23-26, Volume 2, p. 310)

Picture: Palm Sunday at Trinity Lutheran Church (Herrin, IL)

Easter Vigil Part 2 – March 30, 2024

Service of Light
Service of 12 Readings
Service of Baptism/Confirmation
Hymn “All Who Believe and Are Baptized” LW 225
Service of Communion
Epistle:  Colossians 3:1-4
Sequence Hymn: “Christ is Arisen” LW #124
Holy Gospel: St. Matthew 28:1-7
Hymn of the Day “Ere Yet the Dawn hath Filled the Skies” (The Augustana Service Book and Hymnal #28)
Sermon
Offertory: “Create in Me…”         p.18
General Prayer
Hymn: “Triumphant from the Grave” LW 144
Exhortation
Communion Service, p.144 (Lutheran Worship)
Communion liturgy, p.144
Hymn “Lo, Judah’s Lion Wins the Strife” LW 146s8, TLH 211

–Michael D. Henson, Pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church (Herrin, IL).

Service Bulletin:  Easter-Vigil-for-2024-with-ASBH-Easter-Prayer.pdf

Tenebrae Prayer Service – Friday, March 29, 2024 at 3:00 PM

Order of Matins/Lauds (Insert)
Psalmody:  Psalm 4, 15, 16
Readings: Lamentations 3:19-21, 22, 23-66, 4:1-6, 7-22, 5:1-11, 12-22, Hebrews 9:11-22
After readings Hymn “The Royal Banners Forward Go” LW 103, TLH 168 (insert)
Sermon
Canticle of Hezekiah (Isaiah 38:10-20)
Psalm 150
Canticle of Zechariah (Benedicus)
Psalm 51

–Michael D. Henson, Pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church (Herrin, IL).
Service Bulletin: Tenebrae-for-THREE-DAYS-NKJV-Online.pdf

https://vimeo.com/928624764?share=copy

Before the Holy Communion 5.

WE, do not presume to come to this Thy table, O merciful Lord, trusting in our own righteousness, but in Thy manifold and great mercies : We be not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs under Thy table; but Thou art the same Lord, Whose property is always to have mercy; grant us therefore, gracious Lord, so to eat the Flesh of Thy dear Son, and to drink His blood in these holy mysteries, that we may continually dwell in Him and He in us, that our sinful bodies may be made clean by His body, and our souls washed through His most precious blood. Amen.  (Oremus, 1925, p.141).

Picture: Palm Sunday at Trinity Lutheran Church (Herrin, IL)