Welcome!
“Grant me grace, O blessed Savior, And Thy Holy Spirit send
That my walk and my behavior May be pleasing to the end.”
(TLH 207:5)
5TH SUNDAY of the EASTER SEASON MAY 18, 2025
ZION LUTHERAN CHURCH HIDEWOOD TWP, SD
TRINITY LUTHERAN CHURCH WATERTOWN, SD
To prepare yourselves for worship you are welcome to meditate on:
Today’s Psalm 148
1 Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord from the heavens; Praise Him in the heights!
2 Praise Him, all His angels; Praise Him, all His hosts!
3 Praise Him, sun and moon; Praise Him, all you stars of light!
4 Praise Him, you heavens of heavens,
And you waters above the heavens!
5 Let them praise the name of the Lord,
For He commanded and they were created.
6 He also established them forever and ever;
He made a decree which shall not pass away.
7 Praise the Lord from the earth,
You great sea creatures and all the depths;
8 Fire and hail, snow and clouds; Stormy wind, fulfilling His word;
9 Mountains and all hills; Fruitful trees and all cedars;
10 Beasts and all cattle; Creeping things and flying fowl;
11 Kings of the earth and all peoples; Princes and all judges of the earth;
12 Both young men and maidens; Old men and children.
13 Let them praise the name of the Lord, For His name alone is exalted;
His glory is above the earth and heaven.
14 And He has exalted the horn of His people,
The praise of all His saints — Of the children of Israel,
A people near to Him.
Praise the Lord!
ORDER for WORSHIP
The bell calls us for worship
Opening Prayer
P: Almighty, ever-living God, grant that we may gladly hear Your Word, and that all our worship may be acceptable to You, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
Hymn 5
P: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
ALL SING: Amen.
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P: Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins to God, our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness. Our help is in the name of the Lord.
ALL SING: Who made heaven and earth.
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P: I said, I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.
ALL SING: And You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P: Almighty God, our Maker and Redeemer, we poor sinners confess to You that we are by nature sinful and unclean and that we have sinned against You in our thoughts, words, and actions. Therefore we flee for refuge to Your infinite mercy, seeking and imploring Your grace for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ.
ALL: O most merciful God, You have given Your only begotten Son to die for us! Have mercy upon us and for His sake grant us remission of all our sins; and by Your Holy Spirit increase in us true knowledge of You and of Your will and true obedience to Your Word, to the end that by Your grace we may come to everlasting life; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
P: Almighty God, who is our heavenly Father, has had mercy upon us and has given His only Son to die for us and for His sake has forgiven us all our sins. To those who believe on His name He gives power to become the sons of God and has promised them His Holy Spirit. He who believes and is baptized shall be saved. Grant this, Lord, to us all!
ALL SING: Amen.
Responsive Reading of 2 Samuel 22: 29, 32-34, 47, 50
P: For You are my lamp, O Lord;
C: The Lord shall enlighten my darkness.
P: For who is God, except the Lord?
C: And who is a rock, except our God?
P: God is my strength and power,
C: And He makes my way perfect.
P: He makes my feet like the feet of deer,
C: And sets me on my high places.
P: The Lord lives! Blessed be my Rock!
C: Let God be exalted, The Rock of my salvation!
P: Therefore I will give thanks to You, O Lord, among the Gentiles,
C: And sing praises to Your name.
Hymn 189
First Reading – New Testament – Acts 11: 1-18
Through Peter’s encounter with Cornelius, the believers in Jerusalem came to realize that the Gospel and Spirit-worked faith were not only for the Jews but also for Gentiles
1 Now the apostles and brethren who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God. 2 And when Peter came up to Jerusalem, those of the circumcision contended with him, 3 saying, “You went in to uncircumcised men and ate with them!”
4 But Peter explained it to them in order from the beginning, saying: 5 “I was in the city of Joppa praying; and in a trance I saw a vision, an object descending like a great sheet, let down from heaven by four corners; and it came to me. 6 When I observed it intently and considered, I saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air. 7 And I heard a voice saying to me, ‘Rise, Peter; kill and eat.’ 8 But I said, ‘Not so, Lord! For nothing common or unclean has at any time entered my mouth.’ 9 But the voice answered me again from heaven, ‘What God has cleansed you must not call common.’ 10 Now this was done three times, and all were drawn up again into heaven. 11 At that very moment, three men stood before the house where I was, having been sent to me from Caesarea. 12 Then the Spirit told me to go with them, doubting nothing. Moreover these six brethren accompanied me, and we entered the man’s house. 13 And he told us how he had seen an angel standing in his house, who said to him, ‘Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon whose surname is Peter, 14 who will tell you words by which you and all your household will be saved.’ 15 And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them, as upon us at the beginning. 16 Then I remembered the word of the Lord, how He said, ‘John indeed baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ 17 If therefore God gave them the same gift as He gave us when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could withstand God?”
18 When they heard these things they became silent; and they glorified God, saying, “Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life.”
Second Reading – New Testament – Revelation 21: 1-7
The vision John saw of heaven
1 Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. 2 Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. 4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”
5 Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.”
6 And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. 7 He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.
P: Blessed are those who hear and believe God’s Word - Hallelujah!
Selection sung by Trinity Lutheran School children
10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord)
Refrain: Bless the Lord, oh, my soul, oh, my soul. I’ll worship His holy name. Sing like never before, oh, my soul. I worship Your holy name.
1. The sun comes up. It’s a new day dawning. It’s time to sing Your song again. Whatever may pass and whatever lies before me, let me be singing when the ev’ning comes.
Refrain
2. You’re rich in love and You’re slow to anger. Your name is great and Your heart is kind. For all Your goodness I will keep on singing ten thousand reasons for my heart to find.
Refrain
3. And on that day when my strength is failing, the end draws near and my time has come, still my soul will sing Your praise unending ten thousand years and then forevermore.
Refrain
ALL SING: Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
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Third Reading – New Testament Gospel – John 13: 31-35
Jesus gives the disciples a new commandment
ALL SING: Glory be to You, O Lord!
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31 So, when he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in Him. 32 If God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself, and glorify Him immediately. 33 Little children, I shall be with you a little while longer. You will seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come,’ so now I say to you. 34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
P: So far with the New Testament Gospel reading.
ALL SING: Praise be to You, O Christ!
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CONFESSION OF FAITH – THE APOSTLES’ CREED
ALL: I believe in God the Father almighty, Maker of heaven and earth. I believe 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 is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty; From there 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.
Hymn 357
Sermon – 2 Samuel 7: 18-29
Theme: The Changing of the Guard – Part One
18 Then King David went in and sat before the Lord; and he said: “Who am I, O Lord God? And what is my house, that You have brought me this far? 19 And yet this was a small thing in Your sight, O Lord God; and You have also spoken of Your servant’s house for a great while to come. Is this the manner of man, O Lord God? 20 Now what more can David say to You? For You, Lord God, know Your servant. 21 For Your word’s sake, and according to Your own heart, You have done all these great things, to make Your servant know them. 22 Therefore You are great, O Lord God. For there is none like You, nor is there any God besides You, according to all that we have heard with our ears. 23 And who is like Your people, like Israel, the one nation on the earth whom God went to redeem for Himself as a people, to make for Himself a name—and to do for Yourself great and awesome deeds for Your land—before Your people whom You redeemed for Yourself from Egypt, the nations, and their gods? 24 For You have made Your people Israel Your very own people forever; and You, Lord, have become their God.
25 “Now, O Lord God, the word which You have spoken concerning Your servant and concerning his house, establish it forever and do as You have said. 26 So let Your name be magnified forever, saying, ‘The Lord of hosts is the God over Israel.’ And let the house of Your servant David be established before You. 27 For You, O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, have revealed this to Your servant, saying, ‘I will build you a house.’ Therefore Your servant has found it in his heart to pray this prayer to You.
28 “And now, O Lord God, You are God, and Your words are true, and You have promised this goodness to Your servant. 29 Now therefore, let it please You to bless the house of Your servant, that it may continue before You forever; for You, O Lord God, have spoken it, and with Your blessing let the house of Your servant be blessed forever.”
Hymn 784
The Offering is collected / brought forward
Prayer led by the pastor
P: O Jesus, You are our risen and everliving Savior. We praise You with our whole being, for You have done wonderful things for us. At the cross we find full forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation; there You suffered and died in our place. At the empty tomb we find full comfort, joy and hope; Your resurrection proves that You are God’s Son, whose sacrifice has been accepted for our transgressions. All glory, honor, and praise to You, O Savior, for having gotten us the victory over death, the devil, sin, and hell!
Also today, Lord, we thank You for blessing Trinity Lutheran School over the years with teachers, most recently Mrs. Collette Krause, who have led our children first and foremost to Your Word, the living Water and the Bread of life. As we rightly thank her today for the selfless service she has given over the last 10 years, we more importantly join her in giving all glory to You – for without You, Lord, we can do nothing – all we do and are is due alone to Your undeserved grace in Jesus Christ our Savior.
P: any other prayers there may be will be offered here...
P: And so we join to pray the words Jesus taught us:
ALL: 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.
Selection sung by Trinity Lutheran School children
A Benediction
May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ keep you well. May the peace of the Holy Spirit dwell in your hearts, blessing you, in all things that you do, till we come together again. As you go through the week, may the Father’s care be known. May the words that you speak display the love he’s shown in your life, blessing you, in all things that you do, till we come to his house again.
The Benediction
P: The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious unto you; The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you His peace.
ALL SING: Amen, Amen, Amen.
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Closing Hymn 54
STATISTICS – week of May 11. 2025
Zion: 35; SS: 12
Trinity: 44; SS: 9; Wed BC: 12; Avantara: 6
Zion Lutheran Church Hidewood Township, SD – 8:30 a.m.
Trinity Lutheran Church Watertown, SD – 10:30 a.m.
trinitywatertownsd.com
Members: Church of the Lutheran Confession www.clclutheran.org
Pastor Paul Krause. . . parsonpaulkrause@gmail.com cell:920-238-5775
Teacher Collette Krause . . collettekrause@gmail.com cell: 920-238-5132
Church and School: 886-2976
Organists: John Klatt, Rebecca Larson, Naomi Rehder
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CALENDAR and ANNOUNCEMENTS
TODAY >> Zion – 8:30 a.m. service, then (last) Sunday School
>> Trinity – 9:20 a.m. (last) Sunday School; 10:30 worship service
>> Collette Krause retirement – details below
TUE-THU >> West Central Delegate Conference - Jamestown, ND
FRI-SAT ILC Closing Concert / Class Day / Graduation
NEXT SUNDAY >> Zion – 8:30 a.m. service
>> Trinity – 10:30 worship service
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UPCOMING SCHEDULE
5/27 Tue Brookings Bible Study – 7 p.m. – at the DeBough’s place
5/28-29 Trinity Vacation Bible School
6/4-5 Zion Vacation Bible School
6/8 Sun Outdoor service and picnic – at Memorial Park – 10:30 a.m.
6/15 Sun Lay Services at Zion and Trinity; PK at Fond du Lac, WI
6/17-19 CLC General Pastoral Conference – ILC – Eau Claire, WI
6/30 PLANNED arrival of Mikkela and Isaac Schmitt
MANY THANKS!
>> Do you have something you are thankful for at Zion/Trinity? Let Pastor Krause know, and he will be happy to include it in the bulletin!
COLLETTE KRAUSE RETIREMENT After church today Trinity is having a planned meal in honor of Teacher Collette Krause upon her retirement. We hope you will be able to stay!
THIS YEAR’S GRADUATES ARE... ? At the end of the school year it is our practice to ask God’s blessings on those in our congregations who are graduating from their various levels of education. So if you have graduated since last May, please let Pastor Krause know – thanks so much! Our special prayer in their honor will be on Sunday, May 25th.
TACKLING TRINITY’S TEACHERAGE The voters have decided to go forward with the plans for preparing the teacherage for the arrival of the Schmitts at an estimated total cost of $47,225.00. Our members are encouraged to prayerfully consider how they can help cover the expense. No special fund has been set up; any financial gifts can simply be given to Trinity’s general fund.
TRINITY – VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL This summer VBS will be held on Wednesday and Thursday, May 28-29. We will start at 10 a.m. Wednesday, and go all day long, followed by going all day until about 4:30 or 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. On the agenda: Bible stories, crafts, activities, campfire, meals together. Children are welcome to stay in tents overnight by the parsonage. Stay tuned for more!
ZION – VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL This summer Zion will be holding their VBS at Oakwood Lakes State Park, Wednesday and Thursday, June 4-5. The agenda will be much like Trinity - families are welcome to camp overnight. We will eat together, but everyone will be responsible for their own meals. Stay tuned for more!
CONCLUDING ACTIVITIES AT ILC / EAU CLAIRE Friday, May 23, will be the final day of classes at Immanuel Lutheran High School, College, and Seminary. In giving the LORD God glory for the various achievements by students and student groups, Class Day will be held at 2:30 pm. The band will play during this event. At 7:00 pm there will be a concert of sacred music sung by the Concert Choir and Tour Choir at Messiah Lutheran Church. (Please note that both Class Day and the choir concert are beginning 30 minutes earlier than usual.) On Saturday, May 24, the concluding graduation worship service will take place at 10 am at the ILC Fieldhouse. We pray that the students will take what they have learned from the Word of God and treasure the Gospel by expressing their gratitude to the LORD Immanuel in their daily walk with Him.
CLC NEWS Undecided call:
Pastor Frank Gantt, Atlanta, GA, to St. Louis, MO
Returned call:
Pastor Aaron Ude, Rapid City, SD, to St. Louis, MO
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CLC MISSIONS/MISSIONARIES ONLINE INFORMATION
To keep up on our CLC missionaries, and to learn more of our overseas brethren, go to lutheranmissions.org Scroll down and click on the photos of the individual missionaries to access their blog, photos, video, etc.