Word & Worship
Compline
As We Gather
The trees of the Bible help us realize why we need a Savior, how God provided a Savior for us in the person of Jesus Christ, and how the saved lives of repentant believers look. Today we consider how we are like the fruitless trees mentioned throughout the Bible. They cannot bear good fruit, for they are bad trees. Without God’s re-creating us, we are no better than the “brood of vipers” who opposed our Lord. But the Word of God, our new birth in Holy Baptism, and the forgiveness coming in the Sacrament of the Altar changes us to be good trees. And thus we are able to produce the good fruit of the Spirit.
Hymn - LSB 433 Glory Be to Jesus
Glory be to Jesus,
Who in bitter pains
Poured for me the lifeblood
From His sacred veins!
Grace and life eternal
In that blood I find;
Blest be His compassion,
Infinitely kind!
Blest through endless ages
Be the precious stream
Which from endless torment
Did the world redeem!
Abel’s blood for vengeance
Pleaded to the skies;
But the blood of Jesus
For our pardon cries.
Oft as earth exulting
Wafts its praise on high,
Angel hosts rejoicing
Make their glad reply.
Lift we, then, our voices,
Swell the mighty flood;
Louder still and louder
Praise the precious blood!
Text: Public domain
Opening Versicles - Psalm 92:1
L The Lord Almighty grant us a quiet night and peace at the last.
C Amen.
L It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
C to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;
L to herald Your love in the morning,
C Your truth at the close of the day.
Exhortation
L Let us confess our sin in the presence of God and of one another.
Silence for self-examination.
Confession of Sins
L Holy and gracious God,
C I confess that I have sinned against You this day. Some of my sin I know—the thoughts and words and deeds of which I am ashamed—but some is known only to You. In the name of Jesus Christ I ask forgiveness. Deliver and restore me that I may rest in peace.
L By the mercy of God we are redeemed by Jesus Christ, and in Him we are forgiven. We rest now in His peace and rise in the morning to serve Him.
C Amen.
Psalm - Psalm 148; antiphon: v. 13
P Let them praise the name of the Lord, for His name alone is exalted;
C His majesty is above earth and heaven.
P Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord from the heavens;
C praise him in the heights!
P Praise him, all his angels;
C praise him, all his hosts!
P Praise him, sun and moon,
C praise him, all you shining stars!
P Praise him, you highest heavens,
C and you waters above the heavens!
P Let them praise the name of the Lord!
C For He commanded and they were created.
P And He established them forever and ever;
C He gave a decree, and it shall not pass away.
P Praise the Lord from the earth,
C you great sea creatures and all deeps,
P fire and hail, snow and mist,
C stormy wind fulfilling his word!
P Mountains and all hills,
C fruit trees and all cedars!
P Beasts and all livestock,
C creeping things and flying birds!
P Kings of the earth and all peoples,
C princes and all rulers of the earth!
P Young men and maidens together,
C old men and children!
P Let them praise the name of the Lord, for His name alone is exalted;
C His majesty is above earth and heaven.
P He has raised up a horn for His people, praise for all His saints,
C for the people of Israel who are near to Him. Praise the Lord!
P Let them praise the name of the Lord, for His name alone is exalted;
C His majesty is above earth and heaven.
The Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ - Calvary
A This is the Passion of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Office Hymn - LSB 425 When I Survey the Wondrous Cross
When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of Glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss
And pour contempt on all my pride.
Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast
Save in the death of Christ, my God;
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to His blood.
See, from His head, His hands, His feet
Sorrow and love flow mingled down!
Did e’er such love and sorrow meet
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?
Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a tribute far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all!
Text: Public domain
First Reading - Galatians 5:1, 13–25
For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. . . .
For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.
But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Second Reading - Matthew 7:15–20
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Responsory
P There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a Branch from his roots shall bear fruit.
C Christ Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.
P In that day the Root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples—of Him shall the nations inquire, and His resting place shall be glorious.
C Christ Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.
P There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a Branch from his roots shall bear fruit.
C Christ Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.
Hymn - Among the Bible’s Trees
Among the Bible’s trees we live.
How true they grow, as well they should.
From them may we this Lententide
Learn how our Lord died for our good.
The fruit we bear betrays our sin:
Diseased within, we cannot love.
We use our freedom as excuse
And heed not prompting from above.
But by God’s pow’r we are renewed,
With fruit to share in ev’ry need
And in sweet joy, peace, faithfulness
A harvest raise to God indeed.
Lord Jesus Christ, God’s only Son,
Whose body hung on Calv’ry’s Tree,
O living Word, Your sacrifice
Pardon proclaims eternally.
Text: James Pierce. Copyright © 2019 Concordia Publishing House. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Sermon - Good Trees Bearing Good Fruit; Bad Trees Bearing Bad Fruit
Hymn - LSB 691 Fruitful Trees, the Spirit’s Sowing
Fruitful trees, the Spirit’s sowing,
May we ripen and increase,
Fruit to life eternal growing,
Rich in love and joy and peace.
Laden branches freely bearing
Gifts the Giver loves to bless;
Here is fruit that grows by sharing,
Patience, kindness, gentleness.
Rooted deep in Christ our Master,
Christ our pattern and our goal,
Teach us, as the years fly faster,
Goodness, faith, and self-control.
Fruitful trees, the Spirit’s tending,
May we grow till harvests cease;
Till we taste, in life unending,
Heaven’s love and joy and peace.
Text: © 1984 Hope Publishing Co. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110001729
Offering - Offerings may be mailed to or dropped off at Zion. If you would like to set up automatic withdrawal of your offerings, please call the church office, or download this form and return it to the office. Thank you to everyone whose offerings help us to give witness to the unchanging Christ and His promises in these times.
Prayer of the Church
P Let us pray for the Church here and around the world, and people everywhere in their various needs.
For everyone weighed down by their bondage to sin and an inability to stop sinning by thought, word, and deed, let us pray to the Lord.
C For the sake of Christ’s sacrifice on the tree of the cross, heavenly Father, open their ears to hear the Gospel anew; free them to live before You in Your kingdom.
P For everyone who has fallen prey to society’s distorted morality, let us pray to the Lord.
C For the sake of Christ’s sacrifice on the tree of the cross, heavenly Father, surround them with faithful and caring members of the Body of Christ; call them back in repentance and hope.
P For those who keep the peace at home or are deployed abroad, for those who provide care and guidance in relationships, finances, and health, and for those who respond to natural disasters and crises of various sorts, let us pray to the Lord.
C For the sake of Christ’s sacrifice on the tree of the cross, heavenly Father, accompany them with Your Holy Spirit; protect them from harm, and give them wisdom in all circumstances.
P For ourselves and the Church around the world as we seek to produce true spiritual fruit, let us pray to the Lord.
C For the sake of Christ’s sacrifice on the tree of the cross, heavenly Father, assure us that we are Your pleasant planting; forgive our errors, and send us to serve in faithfulness and love.
P These and any other things You would have us ask, heavenly Father, grant to us for the sake of the sufferings and death of Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord.
C Amen.
Collect
L Abide with us, Lord, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. Abide with us and with Your whole Church. Abide with us at the end of the day, at the end of our life, at the end of the world. Abide with us with Your grace and goodness, with Your holy Word and Sacrament, with Your strength and blessing. Abide with us when the night of affliction and temptation comes upon us, the night of fear and despair, the night when death draws near. Abide with us and with all the faithful, now and forever.
C Amen.
Lord’s Prayer - Matthew 6:9–13
L Taught by our Lord and trusting His promises, we are bold to pray:
C 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.
Nunc Dimittis (sung) - Luke 2:29–32
C Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace according to Thy word, for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation, which Thou hast prepared before the face of all people, a light to lighten the Gentiles and the glory of Thy people Israel.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Benediction
P The almighty and merciful Lord, the Father, the T Son, and the Holy Spirit, bless you and keep you.
C Amen.
Hymn to Depart - LSB 878 Abide with Me
Abide with me, fast falls the eventide.
The darkness deepens; Lord, with me abide.
When other helpers fail and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless, O abide with me.
I need Thy presence ev’ry passing hour;
What but Thy grace can foil the tempter’s pow’r?
Who like Thyself my guide and stay can be?
Through cloud and sunshine, O abide with me.
Come not in terrors, as the King of kings,
But kind and good, with healing in Thy wings;
Tears for all woes, a heart for ev’ry plea.
Come, Friend of sinners, thus abide with me.
Swift to its close ebbs out life’s little day;
Earth’s joys grow dim, its glories pass away;
Change and decay in all around I see;
O Thou who changest not, abide with me.
I fear no foe with Thee at hand to bless;
Ills have no weight and tears no bitterness.
Where is death’s sting? Where, grave, thy victory?
I triumph still if Thou abide with me!
Hold Thou Thy cross before my closing eyes;
Shine through the gloom, and point me to the skies.
Heav’n’s morning breaks, and earth’s vain shadows flee;
In life, in death, O Lord, abide with me.
Text: Public domain
Acknowledgments
Compline from Lutheran Service Book. Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2018 Concordia Publishing House.
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