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The faculty of Concordia Seminary has been given the responsibility of declaring pastoral

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and diaconal candidates personally, professionally, and theologically ready for placement in the

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Lutheran Church Missouri Synod.

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We call this certification, and the faculty votes to certify candidates for the spring

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2024 call period on Wednesday, April 3rd.

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The faculty takes a student's whole time at the seminary into consideration for this

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vote.

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Classwork, resident field education and vicarage, personal character, and fitness for the office.

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Through the end of the certification process, three key events occur.

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First the candidate goes through a certification interview with his faculty member if he's

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seeking the pastoral office, or with the directors of the deaconess program, Dr. Bond and myself

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as the director of certification for the diaconal office.

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The second event after this interview is that the ministerial formation student consultation

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committee moves the candidate forward into the certification process.

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And the third event happens this morning.

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The candidates make a public confession of their willingness to unconditionally subscribe

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to the holy scriptures, the ecumenical creeds, and the Lutheran Confessions as found in the

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Book of Concord.

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The questions asked today are the ones that each one of you will be asked at your ordination

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or consecration.

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As you can see, members of the faculty are sitting to the side so they can witness your

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public proclamation and support you as you look forward to placements into your first

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calls.

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Some candidates are not able to be here this morning, those on a final year of vicarage

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or internship are in Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Texas, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Iowa.

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Three of the candidates are away for significant reasons as well.

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So I've asked them to watch this chapel service online and to make their public confession

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in homes, in offices, and in one case a hospital bed, perhaps in front of family members or

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coworkers.

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I now ask our two deaconesses who are here this morning to please stand and join with

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their other sister deaconesses online to make your public declaration.

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In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, amen.

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Beloved in the Lord, the concluding deaconess students of Concordia Seminary Class of 2024

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intend to be called by the Lord of the Church into the auxiliary office of Deaconess, an

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office established in love by the Church to support the Office of the Holy Ministry and

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to assist the faithful in their God-given vocations.

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They have been preparing for this service by careful prayer and study.

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They have been interviewed by faculty mentors and recommended for this sacred responsibility.

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It is therefore fitting that they now publicly declare their willingness to subscribe unconditionally

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to the Holy Scriptures, the ecumenical creeds, and the confessions of the Evangelical Lutheran

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Church.

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Hear the word of God concerning this office, for by the grace given to me I say to everyone

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among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with

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sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.

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For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function,

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so we though many are one body in Christ and individually members of one another.

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Given gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them, if prophecy

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in proportion to our faith, if service in serving the one who teaches in his teaching,

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the one who exhorts in his exhortation, the one who contributes in generosity, the one

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who leads with zeal, the one who does acts of mercy with cheerfulness.

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From Romans 12, let us pray.

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Gracious and most merciful Lord, by your Holy Spirit you have given your people diverse

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and singular gifts.

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We thank you for providing faithful men and women in your church to assist the office

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of the Holy Ministry and to support Christians in their vocations.

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Grant your Holy Spirit to these deaconess students and adorn them with wisdom and power

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from on high that they may serve faithfully in their work to the honor and glory of your

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Holy Name.

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Through Jesus Christ your son our Lord who lives and reigns with you in the Holy Spirit,

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one God now and forever.

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Amen.

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God grants the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good and bestows various gifts

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of service individually as he wills.

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To this end the church has established the office of deaconess to support the office

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of the Holy Ministry and assist the faithful in their God-given vocations.

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In the presence of this assembly and before our Lord God to whom you must give an account,

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I now ask you, are you willing to confess that you believe the canonical books of the

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Old and New Testaments to be the inspired word of God and the only infallible rule of

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faith and practice?

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Are you willing to confess the three ecumenical creeds, namely the apostles, the Nicene, and

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the Athanasian creeds as faithful testimonies to the truth of the Holy Scriptures and will

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you promise to reject all the errors which they condemn?

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Are you willing to confess the unaltered Augsburg Confession to be a true exposition of Holy

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Scripture and a correct exhibition of the doctrine of the Evangelical Lutheran Church?

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And will you confess that the apology of the Augsburg Confession, the Small and Large catechisms

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of Martin Luther, the Smalcald Articles, the Treatise on the Power and Primacy of the

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Pope, and the Formula of Concord as these are contained in the Book of Concord are also

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in agreement with this one scriptural faith.

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May God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit grant you His grace to make

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this good confession and faithfully serve His church.

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Let us pray.

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Almighty and most merciful God, as you chose Phoebe, Dorcas, and other women to assist

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in the work of the apostles and to serve in works of love, so you choose faithful women

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to be deaconesses in your church.

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Grant them grace and strength that in their labors of love and by their good example they

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may serve you faithfully to the glory of your name, to help of those in need, and to the

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everlasting benefit of your church.

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Through Jesus Christ, your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you in the Holy Spirit,

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one God, now and forever.

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Amen.

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Go in peace and joy, the Almighty and most merciful God, the Father, the Son, and the

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Holy Spirit be with you, bless and strengthen you for faithful service in His name.

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Amen.

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You may be seated and the candidates for the pastoral office may rise.

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In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

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Brothers and sisters in Christ, the concluding class of Master of Divinity students of Concordia

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Seminary, class of 2024, intend to be called by the Lord of the Church into the office

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of Holy Ministry of Word and Sacraments.

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They have been preparing for this ministry by careful study and prayer.

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They have been interviewed by faculty mentors and are now recommended for this sacred responsibility.

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It's therefore fitting that they now publicly declare their willingness to subscribe unconditionally

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to the Holy Scriptures, the ecumenical creeds, and the confessions of the Evangelical Lutheran

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Church.

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Consider what the Holy Scripture says concerning the institution of the office of Holy Ministry.

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Jesus spoke to His disciples saying, all authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth.

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Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father,

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and of the Son, and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded

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you.

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And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.

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Matthew 28.

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Jesus also said to them, peace be to you.

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As the Father has sent me, I also send you.

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And when He had said this, He breathed on them and He said to them, receive the Holy

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Spirit.

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If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them.

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If you retain the sins of any, they are retained.

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John 20.

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The Lord be with you.

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Let us pray.

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Almighty and gracious God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, you have commanded us to

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pray that you would send forth laborers into your harvest.

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Of your infinite mercy, give us true teachers and ministers of your Word, who truly fulfill

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your command and preach nothing contrary to your Holy Word.

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Grant that we and these concluding students, being warned and instructed, nurtured, comforted,

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and strengthened by your Holy Word, may do those things which are well pleasing to you

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and profitable for our salvation.

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Through Jesus Christ our Lord.

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God gathers His church by and around His Holy Gospel and thereby grants it growth and increase

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as He wills.

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To this end, He has established the office of Holy Ministry into which you prayerfully

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intend to be called by the Church.

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In the presence of this assembly, and before our Lord God, to whom you must give an account,

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I now ask you, are you willing to confess that you believe the canonical books of the

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Old and New Testaments to be the inspired word of God and the only infallible rule of

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faith and practice?

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Yes, by the grace of God.

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Are you willing to confess the three ecumenical creeds, namely the Apostles, Nicene, and Athanasian

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creeds as faithful testimonies to the truth of Scriptures?

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And will you promise to reject all the errors which they condemn?

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Yes, Father, praise His God.

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Are you willing to confess the unaltered Augsburg Confession to be a true exposition of Holy

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Scripture and a correct exhibition of the doctrine of the Evangelical Lutheran Church?

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And will you confess that the apology of the Augsburg Confession, the Small and Large Catechisms

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of Martin Luther, the Smalcald Articles, the Treatise on the Power and Primacy of the

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Pope, and the Formula of Concord, as these are contained in the Book of Concord, are

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also in agreement with this one scriptural faith?

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Yes, by the grace of God.

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May Almighty God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit grant you His grace to make

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this good confession and faithfully serve His Church.

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Let us pray.

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O eternal and merciful God, you have spoken through your dear Son, saying that the harvest

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is plentiful but the labors are few, and that we should ask you, the Lord of the harvest,

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to send laborers into your harvest.

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Hear our prayer for these men who intend to be ordained and consecrated to be your ministers

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in the Church, strengthen them to take up the word of truth, and faithfully to administer

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your holy sacraments.

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Through Jesus Christ our Lord.

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Amen.

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The Almighty and most merciful God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit bless and preserve

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you.

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Amen.

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The rest of the congregation may stand and join in the hymn 647.