SERVICE OF PASTORAL INSTALLATION

SERVICE OF PASTORAL INSTALLATION

THE REVEREND MATTHEW KOBS

SUNDAY, JANUARY 24, 2021

ASCENSION LUTHERAN CHURCH 5347 DONOVAN AVENUE ST. LOUIS, MO 63109

1

SERVICE OF PASTORAL INSTALLATION

HYMN: THY STRONG WORD LSB 578

2

Give us lips to sing Thy glory, Tongues Thy mercy to proclaim, Throats that shout the hope that fills us, Mouths to speak Thy holy name. Alleluia, alleluia! May the light which Thou dost send Fill our songs with alleluias, Alleluias without end!

∆ God the Father, light-creator,

To Thee laud and honor be. To Thee, Light of Light begotten, Praise be sung eternally. Holy Spirit, light-revealer, Glory, glory be to Thee. Mortals, angels, now and ever Praise the holy Trinity! Tune: Public domain Text: © 1969 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110003477

(Please Stand)

OPENING VERSICLE Psalm 118:24; Psalm 113:3; Psalm 84:10; Psalm 25:4; John 17:17

L This is the day which the Lord has made;

C let us rejoice and be glad in it.

L From the rising of the sun to its setting,

C the name of the Lord is to be praised.

L Better is one day in Your courts than a thousand elsewhere;

C I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in

the tents of the wicked.

L Make me to know Your ways, O Lord.

C Teach me Your paths.

L Sanctify us in Your truth.

C Your Word is truth.

3

L From the rising of the sun to its setting,

C the name of the Lord is to be praised.

C Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;

as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

OLD TESTAMENT CANTICLE Isaiah 12:2b–6

Verses sung by duet: Brittany Schelp and Lisa Clark

Refrain sung by congregation

C The Lord God is my strength and my song, and He has become my

salvation. With joy will you draw water from the wells of salvation. And you will say in that day: “Give thanks to the Lord, call upon His name, make known His deeds among the peoples, proclaim that His name is exalted.”


salvation. Sing praises to the Lord, for He has done gloriously; let this be made known in all the earth. Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitants of Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.


salvation. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.


salvation.

4

(Please be Seated)

☩ WORD ☩

OLD TESTAMENT Isaiah 40:6–11 A The Old Testament Reading is from Isaiah, chapter 40.

6A voice says, “Cry!” And I said, “What shall I cry?” All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field. 7The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the LORD blows on it; surely the people are grass. 8The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.

9Get you up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good news; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good news; lift it up, fear not; say to the cities of Judah, “Behold your God!” 10Behold, the Lord GOD comes with might, and his arm rules for him; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. 11He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.

A This is the Word of the Lord.

C Thanks be to God.

5

EPISTLE 2 Timothy 3:14—4:5

A The Epistle is from 2 Timothy, chapter 3. 14As for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it 15and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work. 1I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: 2preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. 3For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. 5As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

A This is the Word of the Lord.

C Thanks be to God. (Please Stand)

HOLY GOSPEL Matthew 24:42–47

P The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the twenty-fourth chapter.

C Glory to You, O Lord. 42[Jesus said:] “Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. 43But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. 44Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. 45“Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time? 46Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. 47Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions.”

6

P This is the Gospel of the Lord.

C Praise to You, O Christ.

RESPONSORY

L Forever, O Lord, Your Word is firmly set in the heavens.

C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your

glory dwells.

L Blessed are those who hear the Word of God and keep it.


glory dwells.

L Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.


glory dwells.

APOSTLES’ CREED

C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,

maker of heaven and earth.

And 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 sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.

From thence 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 T everlasting. Amen.

7

LORD’S PRAYER

C 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. (Please be Seated)

HYMN: GOD OF THE PROPHETS, BLESS THE PROPHETS’ SONS LSB 682

8

Text and tune: Public domain

SERMON Rev. Dr. Jason Broge

☩ INSTALLATION OF A PASTOR ☩

(The pastor-elect is presented before the altar. The presiding minister, standing before the altar, says:)

P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.

C Amen. (The presiding minister addresses the congregation:)

P Beloved in the Lord, through the Church’s usual order, the Reverend Matthew Carl Kobs has been called by the Lord of the Church to be Assistant Pastor at Ascension Lutheran Church.

P The Lord be with you.

C And also with you.

P Let us pray. O almighty God, by Your Son, our Savior, You have always given to Your Church on earth faithful shepherds to guide and feed Your flock. Therefore we pray, make all pastors diligent to preach Your holy Word and to administer Your means of grace, and grant Your people wisdom to follow in the way that leads to life eternal; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

C Amen.

9

SCRIPTURE READINGS CONCERNING THE OFFICE OF THE HOLY MINISTRY (The presiding minister addresses the pastor-elect:)

P Dear brother in Christ, the Lord grant that you receive and keep these words in your heart so that you may be strengthened and encouraged in your labors. God gathers His Church by and around His Holy Gospel and thereby also grants it growth and increase according to His good pleasure. That this may be done, He has established the Office of the Holy Ministry into which you have been called by the Church and have been ordained and consecrated by prayer and the laying on of hands. It is fitting that you should again acknowledge the responsibilities of this holy office in which you are to serve as Assistant Pastor at this congregation. In the presence of this congregation and before our Lord God to whom you must give an account now and at the Last Day, I now ask you: Do you acknowledge that the Lord has called you through His Church into the ministry of Word and Sacrament?

R I do.

P Do you believe and confess the canonical books of the Old and New Testaments to be the inspired Word of God and the only infallible rule of faith and practice?

R Yes, I believe and confess the canonical Scriptures to be the inspired Word of God and the only infallible rule of faith and practice.

P Do you believe and confess the three Ecumenical Creeds, namely the Apostles’, the Nicene, and the Athanasian Creeds, as faithful testimonies to the truth of the Holy Scriptures, and do you reject all the errors which they condemn?

R Yes, I believe and confess the three Ecumenical Creeds because they are in accord with the Word of God. I also reject all the errors they condemn.

10

P Do you confess the Unaltered Augsburg Confession to be a true exposition of Holy Scripture and a correct exhibition of the doctrine of the Evangelical Lutheran Church? And do you confess that the Apology of the Augsburg Confession, the Small and Large Catechisms of Martin Luther, the Smalcald Articles, the Treatise on the Power and Primacy of the Pope, and the Formula of Concord—as these are contained in the Book of Concord—are also in agreement with this one scriptural faith?

R Yes, I make these Confessions my own because they are in accord with the Word of God.

P Do you promise that you will perform the duties of your office in accordance with these Confessions, and that all your preaching and teaching and your administration of the Sacraments will be in conformity with Holy Scripture and with these Confessions?

R Yes, I promise, with the help of God.

P Will you faithfully instruct both young and old in the chief articles of Christian doctrine, will you forgive the sins of those who repent, and will you promise never to divulge the sins confessed to you? Will you minister faithfully to the sick and dying, and will you demonstrate to the Church a constant and ready ministry centered in the Gospel? Will you admonish and encourage the people to a lively confidence in Christ and in holy living?

R Yes, I will, with the help of God.

P Finally, will you honor and adorn the Office of the Holy Ministry with a holy life? Will you be diligent in the study of Holy Scripture and the Confessions? And will you be constant in prayer for those under your pastoral care?

R I will, the Lord helping me through the power and grace of His Holy Spirit.

☩ INSTALLATION OF THE PASTOR OF A CONGREGATION ☩

(The presiding minister and the pastor-elect turn to face the congregation. The presiding minister says:)

P Beloved in the Lord, Holy Scripture says, “Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.”

11

P You have heard the solemn promise of him called to be your pastor. Will you receive him, show him that love, honor, and obedience in the Lord that you owe to the shepherd and teacher placed over you by your Lord Jesus Christ, and will you support him by your gifts and pray for him always that in his labors he may retain a cheerful spirit and that his ministry among you may be abundantly blessed? If so, then answer: We will, with the help of God.

C We will, with the help of God.

P Will you honor and uphold your pastor as he serves Christ in all his God-pleasing responsibilities? Will you aid him as he cares for his family? Will you be diligent to “put the best construction on everything,” recognizing that “love covers a multitude of sins”? If so, then answer: We will, with the help of God.

C We will, with the help of God.

P The almighty and most merciful God strengthen and assist you always. (The presiding minister asks the pastor-elect:)

P Are you willing and ready to assume this public trust and responsibility?

R I am.

P Reverend Matthew Carl Kobs, I install you as Assistant Pastor of Ascension

Lutheran Church, in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.

C Amen.

P Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do His will, working in you that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever.

C Amen.

P Almighty and most merciful God and Father, through Your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, You have established Your Church to be a temple and dwelling place of the Holy Spirit. We give thanks that You continue to

12

provide shepherds to feed and serve Your flock in which the Holy Spirit has made them overseers. We humbly implore You ever to strengthen the labors of Your ministers, that through their ministry of Word and Sacrament Your people may increase in Your knowledge and service and grow up into Him who is the head, Jesus Christ, to whom, with You and the Holy Spirit, be all glory now and forever.

C Amen.

HYMN: TO GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT LET US PRAY LSB 768

Tune: Public domain Text: © 1969 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110003477

(Please Stand)

13

PRAYER

L In peace let us pray to the Lord:

C Lord, have mercy.

L For the gift of divine peace and of pardon, with all our heart and with all our mind, let us pray to the Lord:

C Lord, have mercy.

L For the holy Christian Church, here and scattered throughout the world, and for the proclamation of the Gospel and the calling of all to faith, let us pray to the Lord:

C Lord, have mercy.

L For this nation, for our cities and communities, and for the common welfare of us all, let us pray to the Lord:

C Lord, have mercy.

L For seasonable weather and for the fruitfulness of the earth, let us pray to the Lord:

C Lord, have mercy.

L For those who labor, for those whose work is difficult or dangerous, and for all who travel, let us pray to the Lord:

C Lord, have mercy.

L For all those in need, for the hungry and homeless, for the widowed and orphaned, and for all those in prison, let us pray to the Lord:

C Lord, have mercy.

L For the sick and dying and for all those who care for them, let us pray to the Lord:

C Lord, have mercy.

L For . . . [additional bids for prayer may be inserted here] . . . let us pray to the Lord:

C Lord, have mercy.

L Finally, for these and for all our needs of body and soul, let us pray to the Lord:

C Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.

14

COLLECT OF THE DAY

L Lord Jesus Christ, You have always given to Your Church on earth faithful shepherds such as Timothy to guide and feed Your flock. Make all pastors diligent to preach Your holy Word and administer Your means of grace, and grant Your people wisdom to follow in the way that leads to life eternal; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

C Amen.

COLLECT FOR THE WORD

L Blessed Lord, You have caused all Holy Scriptures to be written for our learning. Grant that we may so hear them, read, mark, learn, and take them to heart that, by the patience and comfort of Your holy Word, we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

C Amen.

BENEDICAMUS Psalm 103:1

L Let us bless the Lord.

C Thanks be to God.

BENEDICTION

P The almighty and merciful Lord, the Father, the T Son, and the Holy Spirit, bless and preserve you.

C Amen.

15

HYMN: O CHRIST, WHO CALLED THE TWELVE LSB 856

Tune: Public domain Text: © 1993 GIA Publications, Inc. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110003477

A reception follows the service on the church lawn.

16

WORSHIP NOTES

REV. MATTHEW CLARK

Pastor

REV. DR. JASON BROGE Pastor

GABE MAICHEL Director of Music

WILL MOORE Music Brass Accompaniment

LISA CLARK, BRITTANY SCHELP Music Duet

1

Rev. Matthew Kobs

Assistant Pastor, Ascension Lutheran Church

Pastor Matthew Kobs was born on October 16, 1984, in La Mesa, California. He was baptized by his father at Christ Lutheran Church in La Mesa and attended Christ Lutheran School until moving to Russellville, Arkansas, in 1991. He was confirmed at St. John’s Lutheran in Russellville and graduated from Russellville High School before attending the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, where he earned a BA in Spanish, with a minor in Computer Science. Pastor Kobs began his studies at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis in 2006, doing his fieldwork at Hope Lutheran in St. Ann. He served his vicarage at Holy Cross Lutheran in Mobile, Alabama, and graduated with his M. Div. in 2010.

Pastor Kobs’ first call was to Galilee Lutheran Church in Chester, Maryland. He served there for three years before accepting a call to Concordia Publishing House in 2015 to serve as a software developer. At CPH he has had the opportunity to serve the wider Church by developing and maintaining tools like Lutheran Service Builder and Church 360, as well as mobile apps like Portals of Prayer. Pastor Kobs and his family began attending Ascension soon after moving to St. Louis and became members not long after that. Pastor Kobs met his wife Anna during his final years of study at Concordia Seminary through mutual friends Rev. Matthew and Kali Wood. Anna, an alumnus of Valparaiso University, served a number of years in China and Taiwan, teaching English and working with a non-profit organization specializing in education and water projects in remote areas of China. They have one son, Hunter, who is four years old and adores anything to do with trains or railroad crossings. Pastor Kobs enjoys tinkering with computers, (even during his time off), the Botanical Gardens, the zoo, Blues City Deli, and of course Ted Drewes.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®),

copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2021 Concordia Publishing House.

Documents

SERVICE OF PASTORAL INSTALLATION