I believe in God the Father Almighty,
Maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ,
His only Son our Lod, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, dead, and buried;
He descended into hell; the third day He rose again from the dead;
He ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty;
from thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy universal church,
the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.


response: 70, Isaiah 42
Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight;
I will put my Spirit on him and he will bring justice to the nations.
He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets.
A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice;
he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth.
In his law the islands will put their hope.
I, the LORD, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand
I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles,
to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and
to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.


hymnal 369
1 What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer
O what peace we often forfeit, oh, what needless pain we bear,
all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer
2 Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged; take it to the Lord in prayer!
Can we find a friend so faithful, who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness take it to the Lord in prayer!
3 Are we weak and heavy laden, cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our Refuge; take it to the Lord in prayer!
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?  Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In His arms He'll take and shield thee, Thou wilt find a solace there.


hymnal 633
Take these gifts, take these gifts, O our God:
All we have, all we have comes from you.
With our voices raised in thanks, Lord, we give to you. Amen.


Matthew 16:13-28
13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?"
14 They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets."
15 "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?"
16 Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
17 Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven.
18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.
19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."
20 Then he warned his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Christ.
21 From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.
22 Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. "Never, Lord!" he said. "This shall never happen to you!"
23 Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men."
24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
25 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.
26 What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?
27 For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done.
28 I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom."


hymnal 586
1 Once to every man and nation comes the moment to decide,
in the strife of truth with falsehood, for the good or evil side;
Some great cause, some new decision, offering each the bloom or blight,
and the choice goes by forever 'twixt that darkness and that light.
2 Then to side with truth isnoble, when we share her wretched crust,
Ere her cause bring fame and profit, and 'tis prosperous to be just;
then it is the brave man chooses, while the coward stands aside,
till the multitude make virtue of the faith they had denied.
3 By the light of burning martyrs, Jesus' bleeding feet we track,
toiling up new Calvaries ever with the cross that turns not back;
Ne occasions teach new duties, time makes ancient good uncouth;
They must upward still and onward, who would keep abreast of truth.
4 Though the cause of evil prosper, yet 'tis truth alone is strong;
Though her portion be the scaffold, and upon the throne be wrong,
yet that scaffold sways the future, and behind the dim unknown,
standeth God within the shadow Keeping watch above His own. amen.