Three-Year Lectionary
Study the appointed readings, prayers and resources for Series A, Series B and Series C through the Church Year.
May 16, 2027
See TodayDay of Pentecost
Three-Year Lectionary · Series B
- First Reading
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Ezek. 37:1–14 (read in KJV on Bible Gateway, opens in a new tab)
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1 The hand of the LORD was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones, 2 And caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry. 3 And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord GOD, thou knowest. 4 Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. 5 Thus saith the Lord GOD unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live: 6 And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the LORD. 7 So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone. 8 And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above: but there wasno breath in them. 9 Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live. 10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army.
11 Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts. 12 Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. 13 And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves, 14 And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the LORD have spoken it, and performed it, saith the LORD.
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- Psalm
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Psalm 139:1–12 (13–16) (read in KJV on Bible Gateway, opens in a new tab)
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To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.
1 O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me.
2 Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off.
3 Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.
4 For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether.
5 Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.
7 Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?
8 If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.
9 If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;
10 Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.
11 If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me.
12 Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.
13 For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb.
14 I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.
15 My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
16 Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.
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- Epistle
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Acts 2:1–21 (read in KJV on Bible Gateway, opens in a new tab)
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1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. 5 And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. 6 Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language. 7 And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans? 8 And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born? 9 Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, 10 Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, 11 Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God. 12 And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this? 13 Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine.
14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words: 15 For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day. 16 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; 17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: 18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: 19 And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: 20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come: 21 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
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- Gospel
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John 15:26–27; 16:4b–15 (read in KJV on Bible Gateway, opens in a new tab)
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26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me: 27 And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning.
4 But these things have I told you, that when the time shall come, ye may remember that I told you of them. And these things I said not unto you at the beginning, because I was with you. 5 But now I go my way to him that sent me; and none of you asketh me, Whither goest thou? 6 But because I have said these things unto you, sorrow hath filled your heart. 7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. 8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9 Of sin, because they believe not on me; 10 Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; 11 Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. 12 I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. 13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. 14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. 15 All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.
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Day of Pentecost
Three-Year Lectionary · Series B
About this service
The Holy Spirit Brings the Dead to Life by the Righteousness of Christ
In returning to His Father by way of the cross and resurrection, Christ Jesus sends “the Helper” to His Church, that is, “the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father.” The Spirit testifies of Christ and glorifies Him by taking what is His and declaring it to the world in the preaching of repentance for the forgiveness of sins (John 15:26; 16:7, 14). He convicts the world of sin by the word of the Law, He forgives sins and justifies sinners by the Word of the Gospel, and He bestows the faith that says “Amen” to this righteousness of God (John 16:8–11). Therefore, the Lord pours out His Spirit on the apostles, that by their preaching, the Spirit should be given to His entire Church. As the multitudes are gathered from all the nations by “this sound,” that is, by the preaching of “the mighty works of God” in Christ Jesus, so does God the Father pour out the Spirit of His Son “on all flesh” (Acts 2:6, 11, 17). The Lord God breathes upon the slain, and so shall they live; for so the Lord has spoken, and He shall do it (Ezek. 37:5–14).
Source: LCMS Worship, Lectionary Summaries — Three-Year Lectionary Series B (opens in a new tab). Used by permission. These pages may be reproduced for congregational use only. Commercial reproduction, or reproduction for sale of this work or any portion of this work, without the written permission of the copyright holder, is prohibited. © The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. Scripture quoted in the summary is from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Introit, Gradual and Verse
- Antiphon
- liturgical text
- Gradual (seasonal)
- Acts 2:17b (read in KJV on Bible Gateway, opens in a new tab); Romans 10:10 (read in KJV on Bible Gateway, opens in a new tab)
- Verse
- liturgical text
Source: LCMS Three-Year Series (B) Propers Chart (opens in a new tab). Citations only; no liturgical or Scripture text is reproduced.
Prayers of the Church
Prayers of the Church for May 19, 2024 — Responsive Form
Gracious Lord, Your Spirit fills the world and gladdens Your Church with the remembrance of all Christ Jesus has spoken. Glorify His name among us in every word and deed. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, guide the Church into all truth by Your Holy Spirit through Your Word, that we may be guarded from all error and false doctrine and other great shame and vice. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
God of comfort, give hope to Your people in the midst of this world of death and despair. Put Your Spirit within us to believe, to live and to serve according to Your promises and commands. Lead our homes to confess our confidence in Your power to raise the dead — now and at the Last Day. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, be near to [_____________ and] those You have set in place to govern our land. Do not let the ruler of this world govern them and their decisions to our harm, but give us the benefits of good government. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
We call on Your name, O Lord, praying in Your Spirit to help and save all [especially _____________]. Renew the face of the earth, look with favor on Your creatures and fill the hearts of Your faithful, kindling in them the fire of Your love. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord, send Your Holy Spirit upon Your faithful people, that convicted of their sin they may also be convinced that the righteousness of Christ is theirs, and in such repentance and faith receive the things of Christ declared in this Supper: His holy body and precious blood for the forgiveness of sins. Unite us by Your Spirit of truth in faith and confession, and comfort us with the knowledge that this world’s prince is judged. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, comfort those who grieve. Assure them that, since Christ has gone away to the cross and has risen victorious over death, so those who go away from us in this life will rise also to everlasting life. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, heavenly Father, through Your Son You promised Your Holy Spirit, who would convict the world of sin, of righteousness and of judgment. Enlighten our hearts, that we would confess our sins; obtain everlasting righteousness through faith in Christ; and through every trial and temptation, abide in the consolation that Christ is Lord over the devil, death and all things. We ask that You would graciously deliver us from all affliction to make us partakers of eternal salvation; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Source: LCMS Worship, Prayers of the Church — Series B 2023–2024 (opens in a new tab). Prepared by LCMS Worship for congregational use. Used by permission. © The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod.
Prayers of the Church for May 19, 2024 — Ektene Form
In peace, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
For gladness in the Holy Spirit, who fills the world with the remembrance of everything Christ Jesus has spoken, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
For the Church, that God would guide her into all truth by the Holy Spirit through His Word, and so guard us from error and false doctrine and other great shame and vice, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
For hope in the midst of this world of death and despair; that God would put His Spirit within us to believe, to live and to serve according to His promises and commands; and that He would lead our homes to confess confidence in His power to raise the dead — now and at the Last Day, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
For [_____________ and] everyone God has set in place to govern our land, that the ruler of this world would not govern them and their decisions to our harm, but that we might enjoy the benefits of good government, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
For the help and salvation of all, [especially _____________,] that the Spirit would renew the face of the earth, look with favor on His creatures and fill the hearts of the faithful, kindling in them the fire of His love, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
For all who commune, that the Holy Spirit would convict us of our sin and convince us also that Christ’s righteousness is ours; that in such repentance and faith, we would receive the things of Christ declared in His Supper; and that He would unite us by the Spirit of truth in faith and confession, comforting us with the knowledge that this world’s prince is judged, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
For all who grieve, that since Christ has gone away to the cross and has risen victorious over death, so we may have confidence that those who go away from us in this life will also rise again, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
Lord God, heavenly Father, through Your Son You promised Your Holy Spirit, who would convict the world of sin, of righteousness and of judgment. Enlighten our hearts, that we would confess our sins; obtain everlasting righteousness through faith in Christ; and through every trial and temptation, abide in the consolation that Christ is Lord over the devil, death and all things. We ask that You would graciously deliver us from all affliction to make us partakers of eternal salvation; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Source: LCMS Worship, Prayers of the Church — Series B 2023–2024 (opens in a new tab). Prepared by LCMS Worship for congregational use. Used by permission. © The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod.
Hymn of the Day
LSB 497 Come, Holy Ghost, God and Lord
The LCMS Hymn of the Day list appoints this hymn as the Hymn of the Day for The Day of Pentecost (One-Year) and Day of Pentecost (Series A, B and C).
Source: LCMS Worship, Hymn of the Day — Arranged by Church Year, p. 168 (opens in a new tab). Appointment identity only. Lutheran Service Book text and LCMS study content are not reproduced.
Suggested hymns
- Entrance LSB 834 O God, O Lord of Heaven and Earth
- Distribution LSB 503 O Day Full of Grace
- Distribution LSB 501 Come Down, O Love Divine
- Distribution LSB 500 Creator Spirt, by Whose Aid
- Closing LSB 913 O Holy Spirit, Enter In
Source: LCMS Worship, Hymn Suggestions — Three-Year Lectionary Series B 2023–24 (opens in a new tab). Hymn numbers and titles only; hymn texts are not reproduced. Reproduction for individual, church or school use does not require permission. © The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod.