Take a moment to notice the * at the beginning of various portions of the order of service. The * indicates the place where it is inappropriate to enter or leave the sanctuary because it marks a time of prayer or respect for the Word of the Lord. Please be considerate of others around you by honoring these notations.
On Trinity Sunday we are reminded of the mystery and the glory of God. His thoughts are above our thoughts as far as the heavens are above the earth. (Is. 55:8-9) We cannot know His mind or be His counselor (Rom. 11:34). Accordingly, we receive in faith His counsel that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is the one true God. We also receive in faith His counsel that the very body and blood of Christ are present under the bread and wine for our forgiveness. As we receive Holy Communion today, the whole counsel of God moves us to determine confessional oneness for those who receive the sacrament together. For Scriptural reasons, we practice close communion. If you do not belong to a congregation of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, we invite you to join our communion fellowship. For details, please speak or make an appointment with Pastor Kane through the church office (319) 235-6705.
THE HOLY TRINITY
The Holy Trinity Reveals Himself to Sinners
June 15, 2025
AS WE GATHER: When Isaiah beheld the glory of the Lord, he cried out “Woe is me!” For the sinner cannot stand in the presence of a holy God and live (Is. 6:1-7). But God the Father lifted up His Son Jesus for us on the cross, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. This eternal life of Christ is given us according to the Holy Spirit’s good pleasure in Baptism. “Unless one is born [again] of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God” (John 3:5). To sinners in fear of death, the messengers of God place on our lips the living body and blood of Christ and speak His words of absolution, “Your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for” (Is. 6:7). Having received forgiveness and life from the Father through the Son by the Holy Spirit, we join with the angels in praising the blessed Trinity, “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts!” (Is. 6:3). “For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be glory forever. Amen” (Rom. 11:33-36)
PARTICIPATING:
Worship Leader/Preacher Pastor Justin D. Kane
Organist Mrs. Kolleen Hosford
Worship Elder Mr. Kevin McCrindle
Mr. Jon Champion
Lay Reader Mrs. Jan Mendel
Greeters Carol Gustafson/
Alan Kleinendorst
Door Greeter Mr. Brian Williams
ORDER OF WORSHIP
Divine Service I
Announcements
Opening Hymn: LSB 907 “God Himself Is Present”
*Confession/Absolution: LSB 151
SERVICE OF THE WORD
*Kyrie: LSB 152ff
*Gloria in Excelsis: LSB 154
*Salutation: LSB 156
*COLLECT OF THE DAY:
Pastor: Almighty and everlasting God,
People: You have given us grace to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity by the confession of a true faith and to worship the Unity in the power of the Divine Majesty. Keep us steadfast in this faith and defend us from all adversities; for You, O Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, live and reign, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Old Testament: Isaiah 6:1-7 Pew Bible Page 1068
Epistle: Romans 11:33-36 Pew Bible Page 1763
*Alleluia and Verse: LSB 156
*Holy Gospel: John 3:1-17 Pew Bible Page 1649
Although He is God and man,
He is not two, but one Christ:
one, however, not by the conversion of the divinity into flesh,
but by the assumption of the humanity into God;
one altogether, not by confusion of substance,
but by unity of person.
Sing: Oh, that birth forever blessèd,
When the virgin, full of grace,
By the Holy Ghost conceiving,
Bore the Savior of our race,
And the babe, the world’s Redeemer,
First revealed His sacred face
Evermore and evermore!
For as the rational soul and flesh is one man,
so God and man is one Christ,
who suffered for our salvation, descended into hell, rose again the third day from the dead,
ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father, God Almighty,
from whence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
At His coming all people will rise again with their bodies
and give an account concerning their own deeds.
And those who have done good will enter into eternal life,
and those who have done evil into eternal fire.
Sing: O ye heights of heav’n, adore Him;
Angel hosts, His praises sing.
Pow’rs, dominions, bow before Him
And extol our God and King.
Let no tongue on earth be silent,
Ev’ry voice in concert ring
Evermore and evermore.
This is the catholic faith;
whoever does not believe it faithfully and firmly cannot be saved.
Sing: Christ, to Thee, with God the Father,
And, O Holy Ghost, to Thee
Hymn and chant and high thanksgiving
And unending praises be,
Honor, glory, and dominion,
And eternal victory
Evermore and evermore.
THE ATHANASIAN CREED
Early in the fourth century, a north African pastor named Arius began teaching that Jesus Christ was not
truly God. The Church responded decisively in AD 325 with a statement of faith (The Nicene Creed),
which confessed that Jesus is, in fact, true God. Toward the end of the fifth century, another creed was
written that delved further into the mystery of the Trinity. Though attributed to Athanasius, a fourth-
century opponent of Arius, this anonymous creed clearly came at a later stage in the debate.
The Athanasian Creed declares that its teachings concerning the Holy Trinity and our Lord’s incarnation
are “the catholic faith.” In other words, this is what the true Church of all times and all places has
confessed. More than fifteen centuries later, the Church continues to confess this truth, confident that
the triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, has given Himself for our salvation.
Here, the Athanasian Creed is formatted for responsive reading, and confession of the Creed is
accompanied by stanzas of two hymns that confess the Trinity and the Incarnation: “Father Most Holy”
(Lutheran Service Book 504) and “Of the Father’s Love Begotten” (Lutheran Service Book 384).
[THE HOLY TRINITY]*
Whoever desires to be saved must, above all, hold the catholic faith.
Whoever does not keep it whole and undefiled will without doubt perish eternally.
And the catholic faith is this,
that we worship one God in Trinity and Trinity in Unity,
neither confusing the persons nor dividing the substance.
For the Father is one person,
the Son is another,
and the Holy Spirit is another.
But the Godhead of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit is one:
the glory equal, the majesty coeternal.
Sing: Father most holy, merciful, and tender;
Jesus, our Savior, with the Father reigning;
Spirit of comfort, advocate, defender,
Light never waning.
* The section headings used in this insert are not part of the Athanasian Creed itself.- 1 -Such as the Father is,
such is the Son,
and such is the Holy Spirit:
the Father uncreated,
the Son uncreated,
the Holy Spirit uncreated;
the Father infinite,
the Son infinite,
the Holy Spirit infinite;
the Father eternal,
the Son eternal,
the Holy Spirit eternal.
And yet there are not three Eternals, but one Eternal,
just as there are not three Uncreated or three Infinites, but one Uncreated and one Infinite.
Sing: Trinity blessèd, unity unshaken,
Goodness unbounded, very God of heaven,
Light of the angels, joy of those forsaken,
Hope of all living.
In the same way, the Father is almighty,
the Son almighty,
the Holy Spirit almighty;
and yet there are not three Almighties, but one Almighty.
So the Father is God,
the Son is God,
the Holy Spirit is God;
and yet there are not three Gods, but one God.
So the Father is Lord,
the Son is Lord,
the Holy Spirit is Lord;
and yet there are not three Lords, but one Lord.
Just as we are compelled by the Christian truth to acknowledge each distinct person as God and Lord,
so also are we prohibited by the catholic religion to say that there are three Gods or Lords.
Sing: Maker of all things, all Thy creatures praise Thee;
All for Thy worship were and are created;
Now, as we also worship Thee devoutly,
Hear Thou our voices.
The Father is not made nor created nor begotten by anyone.
The Son is neither made nor created, but begotten of the Father alone.
The Holy Spirit is of the Father and of the Son, neither made nor created nor begotten, but proceeding.
Thus, there is one Father, not three Fathers;
one Son, not three Sons;
one Holy Spirit, not three Holy Spirits.
And in this Trinity none is before or after another;
none is greater or less than another;
but the whole three persons are coeternal with each other and coequal,
so that in all things, as has been stated above,
the Trinity in Unity and Unity in Trinity is to be worshiped.
Therefore, whoever desires to be saved must think thus about the Trinity.
Sing: Lord God Almighty, unto Thee be glory,
One in three persons, over all exalted!
Glory we offer, praise Thee and adore Thee,
Now and forever.
[THE TRUE DIVINITY AND TRUE HUMANITY OF JESUS CHRIST]
But it is also necessary for everlasting salvation
that one faithfully believe the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Therefore, it is the right faith that we believe and confess
that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is at the same time both God and man.
He is God, begotten from the substance of the Father before all ages;
and He is man, born from the substance of His mother in this age:
perfect God and perfect man, composed of a rational soul and human flesh;
equal to the Father with respect to His divinity, less than the Father with respect to His humanity.
Sing: Of the Father’s love begotten
Ere the worlds began to be,
He is Alpha and Omega,
He the source, the ending He,
Of the things that are, that have been,
And that future years shall see
Evermore and evermore
Sermon
Offertory LSB 159
*Prayer of the Church
*Lords Prayer LSB 162
*Benediction LSB 166
This concludes the service for online viewing
*SERVICE OF THE SACRAMENT LSB 160ff
Distribution Hymns:
“We All Believe in One True God” LSB 953
“Holy, Holy, Holy” LSB 507
“Glory Be to God the Father” LSB 506
*Thank the Lord: LSB 164
*Post-Communion Collect: LSB 166
Closing Hymn: LSB 941
“We Praise You and Acknowledge You, O God”
THE HOLY TRINITY
Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church
1024 West Eighth Street, Waterloo Iowa
319.235.6705