REFORMATION - November 1, 2026
St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Manistee, Michigan
Lord, Keep Us Faithful to Your Word
Even in the Face of Persecution
WELCOME
HYMN 877 “Reformation Song” Please stand for the last stanza
CALL TO WORSHIP
M: In the name of the Triune God - the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. C: Amen.
CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION
M: Dear brothers and sisters in Christ. Today we join together to praise and thank our God for the gifts and blessings he has given to us, the heirs of the Lutheran Reformation. God continues to bless us with his pure Word, our only source of doctrine and life. The everlasting gospel of Christ continues to be preached in our pulpits and taught in our schools. He has brought us into a wonderful fellowship of believers. But all this is mercy and grace. We deserve and have earned none of it. Let us therefore come to God’s throne of grace and confess our sins and unworthiness.
C: If we were to say that we have no sin, Lord, we would be deceiving ourselves and the truth would not be in us. But, you, Lord, have revealed the truth about our sinfulness to us. Through the mirror of your holy law we see and know our many and terrible sins, especially those of taking your Word for granted. We confess our sins to you and ask you to show us mercy and grace and forgive us.
M: As a called servant of Christ, I assure you that you are forgiven of all of your sins through the merits of Jesus Christ, your Savior. May the Holy Spirit fill you with all joy and peace as you believe in Christ. May the kingdom of our Lord flourish in your hearts and through you to many others, to the glory of Christ’s holy name. Amen.
HYMN 605 “From All That Dwell below the Skies”
PRAYER OF THE DAY
M: Gracious Lord, our refuge and strength, pour out your Holy Spirit on your faithful people. Keep them steadfast in your Word, protect and comfort them in all temptations, defend them against all their enemies, and bestow on the Church your saving peace; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C: Amen
FIRST LESSON: Daniel 6:10-12;16-23
10 Now, when Daniel learned that the document had been signed, he went to his house. It had windows on its upper story that opened toward Jerusalem. Three times each day he would get on his knees and pray and offer praise before his God. He continued to do that just as he had been doing before this. 11 Then these men came as a group and found Daniel praying and seeking favor from his God. 12 Then they went and said to the king concerning the decree, “Your Majesty, did you not sign a decree that anyone who prays to any god or person for thirty days except to you, Your Majesty, would be thrown into the den of lions?” The king answered, “Indeed I did. The command is like the law of the Medes and the Persians that cannot be revoked.”…16 Then the king gave the order, and Daniel was brought and thrown into the lions’ den. The king said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you.” 17 A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the pit and the king sealed it with his signet ring and the signet rings of his nobles so that nothing could be changed with regard to Daniel’s situation. 18 Then the king went to his palace. He spent the night without food, and no entertainment was brought before him, and he could not sleep. 19 Then at dawn the king arose as soon as it was light and hurried to the lions’ den. 20 As he came near the pit, he cried out in a fearful voice. The king said to Daniel, “Daniel, servant of the living God, your God whom you serve continually: Was he able to rescue you from the lions’ den?” 21 Then Daniel spoke with the king, “Your Majesty, may you live forever! 22 My God sent his angel and shut the mouth of the lions, and they have not hurt me because he found me innocent before him. Also before you, Your Majesty, I have committed no crime.” 23 Then the king was very glad, and said that Daniel should be brought up from the pit. So Daniel was brought up from the pit, and he was unharmed because he trusted in his God.
M: The Word of the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
SECOND LESSON: 2 Timothy 4:9-18
9 Make every effort to come to me quickly, 10 for Demas, because he loved this present world, has forsaken me and gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia. 11 Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is useful to me for ministry. 12 I have sent Tychicus to Ephesus. 13 When you come, bring the cloak I left in Troas with Carpus, and the scrolls, especially the parchments. 14 Alexander the coppersmith did me a great deal of harm. The Lord will pay him back for what he did. 15 You be on your guard against him also, because he vehemently opposed our message. 16 At my first hearing, no one came to my defense, but everyone deserted me. May it not be counted against them. 17 But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message would be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles would hear it, and I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. 18 The Lord will rescue me from every evil work and will bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
M: The Word of the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
VERSE OF THE DAY - read by the pastor
Alleluia. If you continue in my Word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free. Alleluia.
ALLELUIA RESPONSE
GOSPEL: Matthew 10:16-22
16 “Look, I am sending you out as sheep among wolves. So be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. 17 Be on guard against people. They will hand you over to councils, and they will whip you in their synagogues. 18 You will be brought into the presence of governors and kings for my sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. 19 Whenever they hand you over, do not be worried about how you
will respond or what you will say, because what you say will be given to you in that hour. 20 In fact you will not be the ones speaking, but the Spirit of your Father will be speaking through you. 21 Brother will hand over his brother to death, and a father will do the same with his child. Children will rise up against parents and have them put to death. 22 You will be hated by all people because of my name, but whoever endures to the end will be saved.”
M: Here ends the Gospel.
C: Praise be to You, O Christ
NICENE CREED – page 196
HYMN 867 “Afflicted Saint, to Christ Draw Near”
SERMON: Matthew 10:16-22
Lord, Keep Us Faithful to Your Word
Even in the Face of Persecution
HYMN 640 – please stand
God's Word is our great heritage And shall be ours forever; To spread its light from age to age Shall be our chief endeavor. Through life it guides our way; In death it is our stay.
Lord, grant, while worlds endure, We keep its teachings pure Throughout all generations.
PRAYER FOR THE CHURCH
M: Almighty and eternal God, when the time had fully come, you sent your Son to take our place under the demands of the law and to endure the just punishment for our sins. For our sake you accepted his sacrifice on the cross and raised him from death to glorious splendor. C: Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits.
M: When the time had fully come you sent your Holy Spirit on your people as a testimony
that you had called them to proclaim the Gospel to every creature. Equipped and encouraged, they carried the Word of Salvation into all the world.
C: The Lord reigns. Let the earth be glad; let the distant shores rejoice. M: When the time had fully come, you made our forefathers bold to take their stand on the truth of your Word. You have blessed their sons and daughters and have enabled us to preserve and proclaim the saving gospel.
C: Sing to the Lord, for he has done glorious things; let this be known to all the world.
M: Let this be a time, O Lord, for confession and repentance. Forgive us for the apathy that harms our faith and hinders our works. Forgive us for boasting of our past achievements and for blaming others for our present problems. Rid us of indifference to public worship and Bible study. Destroy the distrust that plagues us, and shatter every thought and word that harms the unity of the Spirit and the bond of peace.
C: Create in us pure hearts, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within us. M: Let this be a time, O Lord, when we recommit and re-consecrate ourselves to the ministry of the gospel. Let us find joy in our unity, zeal for our work, and success in our labor.
C: May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine on us, that his ways may be known on the earth, his salvation among all nations. M: We offer now our prayers on behalf of others…and we bring all our petitions together in the words you shared with your disciples…
C: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and forever. Amen.
THE SACRAMENT OF THE LORD’S SUPPER - Please be seated PREFACE
M: The Lord be with you.
M: Lift up your hearts.
M: Let us give thanks to the Lord, our God.
M: It is truly good and right that we should at all times and in all places give you thanks, O Lord, holy Father, almighty and everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who in blessing his saints of the past has given us glorious assurance and hope that, following their example of faith, we may run with perseverance the race marked out for us, and receive the crown of glory that will never fade away. Therefore, with all the saints on earth and hosts of heaven, we praise your holy name and join their glorious song:
WORDS OF INSTITUTION
M: The peace of the Lord be with you always.
AGNUS DEI
DISTRIBUTION
THE NUNC DIMITTIS
C: O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
PRAYER
BENEDICTION
HYMN 864 “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God”
ANNOUNCEMENTS & REFRESHMENTS
Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright ♥ 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers.