- St. Pauls Plymouth

Philippi
Thessalonica
Berea
Athens
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St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church & SCHOOL
Plymouth, Nebraska
stpaulsplymouth.org
In an ever-changing world, St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church exists to build Christ’s kingdom in
people’s hearts with the un-changing Gospel of Jesus Christ.
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June 12th, 2016
Pentecost 4
Welcome — To all our visitors we extend a
warm and sincere welcome. We give you our
hand in Christian love, and invite you to hear
God's Word with us. May the Good News of
salvation through faith in Christ alone be a
source of true joy and comfort to all of us! We
ask our guests to sign our guest book located in
the front entrance, and invite you to worship
with us again. If you are looking for a church to
call home, we are ready and willing to serve
your spiritual needs!
Prayers before Worship — can be found in
Christian Worship—A Lutheran Hymnal, pages
10-11. Personal preparation for the Lord’s
Supper is found on p. 156.
Focus for Our Worship — Today we begin a
sermon series called “Postcards from Paul.”
Over the next four weeks, we will follow Paul in
part of his second
missionary journey
as recorded in the
book of Acts from
Philippi to
Thessalonica to
Berea to Athens.
Broadcast Sponsor — Our broadcast today is
sponsored in loving memory of Frank & Zelda
Molzer by their children. Frank & Zelda were
married June 16, 1935.
                                            
Divine Service I
(Christian Worship Supplement p. 15)
OPENING HYMN “Blessed Jesus at Your Word” (CW 221)
INVOCATION
M: In the name of the Father and of the Son  and of the Holy Spirit.
C: Amen.
CONFESSION OF SINS, KYRIE, HOLY ABSOLUTION
M: Beloved in the Lord: let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins to God our Father,
asking Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
C:
Holy and merciful Father, I confess that I am by nature sinful and that I have disobeyed You in my
thoughts, words, and actions. I have done what is evil and failed to do what is good. For this I
deserve Your punishment both now and in eternity. But I am truly sorry for my sins, and trusting
in my Savior Jesus Christ, I pray: Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner.
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LORD, HAVE MERCY
M: God, our heavenly Father, has been merciful to us and has given His only Son to be the atoning
sacrifice for our sins. Therefore, as a called servant of Christ and by His authority, I forgive you all
your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son  and of the Holy Spirit.
C: Amen.
PRAYER AND PRAISE
M: In the peace of this forgiveness, let us praise the Lord.
GLORY TO GOD
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PRAYER OF THE DAY
M: Lord, the message of the forgiveness of all of our sins refreshes us this morning. No longer are we
bound to the filth, sadness, loneliness of this world, for you have set us free, brought us joy, and
given us life by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and
the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C: Amen.
FIRST LESSON — Philippians 1:12-30
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Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the
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gospel. As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I
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am in chains for Christ. Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged
to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly.
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It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. The latter do
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so in love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former preach Christ out of
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selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. But
what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ
is preached. And because of this I rejoice.
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Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and the help given by the
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Spirit of Jesus Christ, what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance. I eagerly expect and
hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will
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be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I
am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not
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know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it
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is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I
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will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, so that through my being with you
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again your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on account of me.
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Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I
come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit,
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contending as one man for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who
oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved—and that by
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God. For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for
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him, since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have.
HOLY GOSPEL — Luke 12:1-12
M: The Gospel according to St. Luke, chapter 12:
Meanwhile, when a crowd of many thousands had gathered, so that they were trampling on one
another, Jesus began to speak first to his disciples, saying: “Be on your guard against the yeast of the
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Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will
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not be made known. What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have
whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs.
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“I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But
I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw
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you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him. Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is
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forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth
more than many sparrows.
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“I tell you, whoever acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man will also acknowledge him before
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the angels of God. But he who disowns me before men will be disowned before the angels of God.
And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes
against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.
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“When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will
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defend yourselves or what you will say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should
say.”
M: The Gospel of the Lord:
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CONFESSION OF FAITH
NICENE CREED
We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and
unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from
God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one being with the Father.
Through Him all things were made. For us and for our salvation, He came down from heaven, was
incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary, and became fully human. For our sake He was
crucified under Pontius Pilate. He suffered death and was buried. On the third day He rose again in
accordance with the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and His kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who in unity with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, who has spoken through the
prophets. We believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the
forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen.
HYMN OF THE DAY “Fight the Good Fight” (CW 457)
SERMON Acts 16:16-34
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Once when we were going to the place of prayer,
we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit by which
she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of
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money for her owners by fortune-telling. This girl
followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men
are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you
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the way to be saved.” She kept this up for many days.
Finally Paul became so troubled that he turned around
and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I
command you to come out of her!” At that moment
the spirit left her.
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When the owners of the slave girl realized that
their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul
and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to
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face the authorities. They brought them before the
magistrates and said, “These men are Jews, and are
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throwing our city into an uproar by advocating
customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice.”
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The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and
Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped
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and beaten. After they had been severely flogged,
they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was
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commanded to guard them carefully. Upon receiving
such orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened
their feet in the stocks.
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About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and
singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were
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listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent
earthquake that the foundations of the prison were
shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and
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everybody’s chains came loose. The jailer woke up,
and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his
sword and was about to kill himself because he
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thought the prisoners had escaped. But Paul
shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!”
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The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell
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trembling before Paul and Silas. He then brought
them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be
saved?”
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They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you
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will be saved—you and your household.” Then they
spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others
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in his house. At that hour of the night the jailer took
them and washed their wounds; then immediately he
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and all his family were baptized. The jailer brought
them into his house and set a meal before them; he
was filled with joy because he had come to believe in
God—he and his whole family. (Acts 16:16-34)
Brothers and Sisters at St. Paul’s Lutheran
106 East Highway 4
Plymouth, NE 68424
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After the sermon, the congregation stands and sings:
OFFERING
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH
LORD’S PRAYER
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.
THE SACRAMENT
M:
C:
M:
C:
M:
C:
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them up to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord, our God.
It is good and right so to do.
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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 promised that wherever
two or three come together in His name, there He is with them to shepherd His flock till He comes
again in glory. Therefore, with all the saints on earth and hosts of heaven, we praise Your holy name
and join their glorious song:
HOLY, HOLY, HOLY
WORDS OF INSTITUTION
M: Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night He was betrayed, took bread; and when He had given thanks, He
broke it and gave it to His disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is My  body, which is given for you.
Do this in remembrance of Me.”
Then He took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying,
“Drink from it, all of you; this is My  blood of the new covenant,
which is poured out for you for the forgiveness of sins. Do this,
whenever you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
M: The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C: Amen.
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O CHRIST, LAMB OF GOD
CLOSE COMMUNION We ask that only those who have previously spoken to our pastor or are members in good
standing of this or another WELS or ELS congregation come to Holy Communion today. Our practice of Close
Communion (which has been the practice of the Christian Church throughout the ages) is in no way trying to judge
anyone’s faith. What we are trying to do is follow the Bible’s clear teaching (I Corinthians 11) to first study God’s
Word together. As we do so, we can share with/review with you what the Lord’s Supper is all about. You, then, also
have an opportunity to examine what we believe and teach before you come to the Lord’s Supper here at St. Paul’s
and make a public profession that you agree with what we teach .
If you have any questions about this or would like to commune at St. Paul’s in the future, please talk to Pastor Berger
after worship this morning. He would love to sit down with you on your timetable and at your convenience and talk
about these important matters.
DISTRIBUTION HYMNS
“Take and Eat” – CWS 741 (page 16 of the worship folder)
“Draw Near and Take the Body of the Lord” (CW 309)
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SONG OF SIMEON
M: O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
C: And His mercy endures forever.
M: O God the Father, source of all goodness, in Your loving kindness You sent Your Son to share our
humanity. We thank You that through Him You have given us pardon and peace in this sacrament.
We also pray that You will not forsake us but will rule our hearts and minds by Your Holy Spirit so
that we willingly serve You day after day, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with
You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C: Amen.
M: The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look on you with favor and  give you peace.
C: Amen.
Closing Hymn “My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less” (CW 382)
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NOTES AND NEWS
June 12th, 2016
Pastor Fred Berger
C-402-239-4509 O-402-656-3003
[email protected]
Principal Andrew Danner
C-402-433-5349 O-402-656-4465
[email protected]
Organist: Angie Zulauf
Teen Usher: Johnathan Kerwood
Greeters: Wes & Cari Schroeder
Broadcast Announcers: Ethan Paxton, Brett Scheiding
BIRTHDAYS AND ANNIVERSARIES
Today – M/M Orlynn Weishahn
Monday – Donna Hayek, Cari Schroeder
Tuesday – Dick Drewes
Wednesday – Ila Burger, Garrett Freese, Damyn Weichel, Dylan Weichel
Thursday – Richie Styers, Andrew Danner
Saturday – Andrew Wiedel
Today
Mon. – Wed.
Mon. – Fri
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
This Week, By God’s Grace (June 12th – 19th)
Worship-Communion
Special Voters’ Meeting
NELHS Sports Camp
Vacation Bible School
Family Fun Night at Schmidt Cabin – see insert
Work/Cleaning Day
Worship
(Greeters: Lillian Freese, Aleatha Gronemeyer)
Youth Rally Meeting
Youth and Adult Choir Practice
10:00am
11:15am
8:45-11:30am
6:00pm
8:00am
10:00am
11:00am
11:00am
In Our Prayers
 The family of Jim Schroeder. The Lord called Jim home to his eternal rest this past Monday. The
funeral service was conducted here at St. Paul’s Friday morning with committal in our church
cemetery. We pray that Jim’s family finds comfort in the resurrection promise. The obituary is
printed on page 15 of your service folder.
 Gretchen Pollock (Jack Pollock’s mother). She is hospitalized with pneumonia at Jefferson County
Health Center in Fairbury.
 Ila Burger. We thank the Lord for blessing Ila during her 85 years of grace here on earth.
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Voters’ Meeting—Following our worship service this morning, there will be a special voters’
meeting to vote on staffing for the 2016-17 school year and to discuss proposed busing plans for
the students attending our school from the Beatrice area.
Branches Band/Cookout—St. Paul’s will be hosting a free community fun night this Friday, June
17th, starting at 6PM. It will be held at the Schmidt Cabin (3.5 miles south of town off the County
Road). We’ll have a cookout at 6PM, concert by Branches Band at 7PM, and campfire at 8PM. Look
for posters around town and spread the word to all your friends and family! Those attending are
encouraged to bring lawn chairs and sticks to roast marshmallows.
Door Offering for the International Youth Rally—A door offering will be collected after our worship
service today to help with the costs associated with the six youths attending the International Youth
Rally in Fort Collins, CO June 28th - July 1st.
Singers/Instrumentalists—If God has gifted you with a talent to sing or play an instrument, please
consider using your gift publicly for worship this summer, as the choirs will not be singing (except
for installation Sunday). If you would like to do so, please speak to Pastor Berger.
Work Day/Cleaning Day—Both men and women from our congregation are
asked to note that there will be a work day/cleaning day this Saturday, June 18th.
We hope to work on the following items: cleaning the teacherage, fixing the
soffits on both the church and teacherage, clearing the wood out of the east bell
tower, and other small miscellaneous items. Work will begin at 8:00 a.m. All
help would be greatly appreciated!
Youth/Adult Choir—An Adult and Youth Choir will be practicing after worship on Sunday, June 19th.
They will be singing together for the installation service on July 31st.
Cemetery Flowers—If you placed flowers or decorations on our cemetery grounds, please note the
following cemetery regulations: “No plants, shrubs, or trees shall be planted on this
cemetery by any person other than the cemetery committee. All living plants,
artificial flowers, vases, ornaments, and decorations shall be removed from the
graves from June 10 to November 1. Exceptions will be made to all vases
permanently attached to monuments. No glass jars or vases are permitted on
cemetery grounds. Flowers may be left on new graves for thirty days.” Thank you!
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The Obituary
James Vernon Schroeder, son of Glen A. Schroeder and his wife, Hilda neé Zimmerman, was born
May 24, 1939. On May 29 of that same year, he was baptized here at St. Paul’s by Pastor Alvin
Degner.
On June 1, 1952, Jim was confirmed here at St. Paul’s by Pastor Hilbert Schaller. His confirmation
verse was 1 John 5:4, “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that
has overcome the world—our faith.”
Jim grew up on the family farm southwest of Plymouth. He attended elementary school here at St.
Paul’s and graduated from Plymouth High School in 1956. In 1957, he joined the Nebraska National
Guard at Crete and served six months active duty at Fort Leonard Wood, MO and Fort Chaffee, AR.
On January 4, 1960, he was united in marriage to Jeanette Gronemeyer at St. Paul’s Lutheran
Parsonage in Plymouth. The Lord blessed this union with two sons and one daughter.
Jim farmed on the family farm and worked part-time for an electrician, Milton Hueske. He also
worked at the service station in Plymouth for Jay Preston. The family moved into Plymouth in 1968
after Jim went to work for the Phillips Fertilizer Plant at Hoag in operations and, in the later years,
as a welder. He continued to work at that same facility for 34 years until his retirement.
Jim served on the Jefferson County Zoning Board, the Jefferson County Economic Development
Board, and the Plymouth Town Board. He was a Plymouth Volunteer Fireman and an EMT for the
Plymouth Volunteer Fire Department.
Jim and Jeanette moved to Beatrice after his retirement in 2001. In retirement he helped his son,
Joel, with farming and drove cars for the Spady-Runcie dealership in Beatrice. His hobbies were
fishing and hunting.
Jim was a faithful, lifelong member of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Plymouth. He served his Lord on
the church council as an elder, treasurer, conference delegate, and member of the endowment
committee.
The Lord called him out of this life to life eternal this past Monday at the age of 77 years and 13
days. He was preceded in death by his parents; one brother, Glenn D. Schroeder; his father-in-law,
Orvel Gronemeyer; and his mother-in-law, Esther neé Peters Gronemeyer.
He leaves to mourn his passing: his beloved wife, Jeanette of Beatrice; two sons, Jay of Plymouth,
and Joel and his wife Karen of rural DeWitt; one daughter, Jenae Lewis and her husband James of
Germantown, TN; six grandchildren, Ben Schroeder and wife Kaelyn of Lincoln, Tom Schroeder and
his fiancée Krystal of Olathe, KS, Amy Schroeder of Lincoln, and Sam, Maddie and Sophie Lewis of
Germantown; two great-grandchildren, James and Emma Schroeder of Lincoln; one sister, Loretta
Smith of Beatrice; two sisters-in-law, Wanieta Schroeder and Jenell and her husband Cordell Koch of
Plymouth; one brother-in-law, Jim Gronemeyer of DeWitt; numerous nieces and nephews; and
many other relatives and friends.
The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away, may the name of the Lord be praised.
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Reprinted under OneLicense.net #A-711841.
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