Reformation Vespers - October 30, 2025

Order of Service: - Prelude: Praeludium in D Minor (J. Pachelbel) - The Confession of Sin (p. 120) - Hymn 250 - A Mighty Fortress is Our God: vv. 1, 2 - Hymn 251 - A Mighty Fortress is Our God: vv. 3, 4 - The Versicles (pp. 120-121) - The Gloria Patri (p. 121) - O God, My Strength and Fortitude: 1. O God, my strength and fortitude, Of force I must love Thee: Thou art my castle and defense in my necessity. My God, my rock, in whom I trust, The worker of my wealth; My refuge, buckler, and my shield, The home of all my health. 2. The pangs of death did compass me And bound me ev’ry where; The flowing waves of wickedness, Did put me in great fear. The sly and subtle snares of hell were round about me set: And for my death there was prepared a deadly trapping net. 3. I thus beset with pain and grief Did pray to God for grace; And He forthwith did hear my plaint Out of His holy place. O God, my strength and fortitude, Of force I must love Thee: Thou art my castle and defense in my necessity. - Psalm 18 - Old English melody, arranged by Austin Lovelace - Hymn 492 - The Law of God is Good and Wise - Romans 7:7-20: What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, "You shall not covet." But sin, taking opportunity by the commandment, produced in me all manner of evil desire. For apart from the law sin was dead. I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died. And the commandment, which was to bring life, I found to bring death. For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it killed me. Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good. Has then what is good become death to me? Certainly not! But sin, that it might appear sin, was producing death in me through what is good, so that sin through the commandment might become exceedingly sinful. For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. 18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. - Jesu, der du meine Seele - BWV 78 - J.S. Bach: Wir eilen mit schwachen, doch emsigen Schritten, O Jesu, o Meister zu helfen, zu dir. Du suchest die Kranken und Irrenden treulich. Ach höre, wie wir Die Stimmen erheben, um Hülfe zu bitten! Es sei uns dein gnädiges Antlitz erfreulich! We hasten with weak but diligent steps, Oh Jesus, oh Master of Salvation,3 to you. You seek the ailing and [spiritually] erring faithfully, Ah, hear, how we Raise our voices to plead for help/salvation. Let your merciful countenance be gladdening to us. - Romans 8:1-11: There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. 8 So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. - Hymn 233 - The Gospel Shows the Father's Grace - Romans 3:19-28: Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law. - Choral Anthem - Now Thank We All Our God - J.S. Bach: Text: ELH 63 - The Kyrie (p. 124) - Hymn 584 - Grant Peace, We Pray, in Mercy, Lord - The Collect (pp. 125-127) - The Benedicamus and Benediction (p. 127) - Hymn 589 - Lord, Keep Us Steadfast in Thy Word - Postlude: Lord, Keep Us Steadfast (setting by Jan Bender) Service Participants: Rev. Tim Hartwig, President, Bethany Lutheran Theological Seminary (Preacher), Prof. David Paulson (Choir Director), Chaplain Don Moldstad (Lector)