Sunday, December 20, 2020 – recording
Fourth Sunday of Advent
Prelude: Meditation on “Est Ist Ein Ros”
Welcome and Announcements
Gathering Hymn: “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” – LBW # 34, vs 1 -
5
Confession & Forgiveness
Greeting & Kyrie
Canticle of Praise: “Glory to God…”
Prayer of the Day
First Reading, 2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16
Psalm # 89:1-5, 19-29
Second Reading, Romans 16:25-27
Holy Gospel, Luke 1:26-38
Sermon
Hymn of the Day: “The Advent of Our God” – LBW # 22, vs 1 - 6
Nicene Creed
Prayers of the Church
The Lord’s Prayer
Blessing
Dismissal
Sending Hymn: “Hark, the Glad Sound” - LBW # 35, vs 1 – 4
Postlude: Voluntary on “Veni Emmanuel”
****************************************************************************************************************
(Congregational
responses are in bold print)
The community of
faith comes together in worship to praise God and be nurtured by His Word and
Sacrament. As the prelude begins, prepare to worship, use opportunities during
the service to practice silence, to focus upon God, and to offer prayer.
Prelude Meditation on “Est Ist Ein Ros”
Welcome and Announcements Pastor John
Gathering Hymn “Oh Come, Oh
Come, Emmanuel” LBW # 34, vs 1
- 5
Oh, come, oh, come, Emmanuel, And ransom captive Israel, That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.
Refrain: Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel Shall come to you, O Israel!
Oh, come, oh, come, great Lord of might,
Who to your tribes on Sinai's height In ancient times
once gave the law In cloud, and majesty, and awe. (Refrain)
Oh, come, strong Branch of Jesse, free
Your own from Satan's tyranny; From depths of hell your people save And give
them vict'ry o'er the grave. (Refrain)
Oh, come, blest Dayspring, come and
cheer Our spirits by you advent here; Disperse the
gloomy clouds of night, And death's dark shadows put to flight. (Refrain)
Oh, Come, O Key of David, come, And
open wide our heav’nly home; Make safe the way that
leads on high, And close the path to misery. (Refrain)
Confession & Forgiveness (Pastor)
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Almighty God, to whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and
from whom no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the
inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you and worthily
magnify your holy name, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is
not in us. But if we confess our sins, God who is faithful and just will
forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Most merciful God, we confess that we are in bondage to sin and
cannot free ourselves. We have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed,
by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you
with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. For the
sake of your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and
lead us, so that we may delight in your will and walk in your ways, to the
glory of your holy name. Amen.
Almighty God, in his mercy, has given his Son to die for us and, for
his sake, forgives us all our sins. As a called and ordained minister of the
Church of Christ, and by his authority, I therefore declare to you the entire
forgiveness of all your sins, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of
the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Greeting (Pastor)
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the
communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. And also with you.
Kyrie (Worship
Assistant)
In peace, let us pray to the Lord. Lord, have mercy. For
the peace from above, and for our salvation, let us pray to the Lord. Lord,
have mercy. For the peace of the whole world, for the well-being of
the church of God, and for the unity of all, let us pray to the Lord. Lord,
have mercy. For this
holy house, and for all who offer here their worship and praise, let us pray to
the Lord. Lord, have mercy.
Help, save, comfort, and defend us, gracious Lord. Amen.
Canticle of
Praise “Glory to God…” (Worship
Assistant)
Glory to God in the highest, and peace to God’s
people on earth. Lord God, heavenly King, almighty God
and Father, we worship you, we give you thanks, we praise you for your glory.
Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, Lord God, Lamb of God, you take away
the sin of the world: have mercy on us; you are seated at the right hand of the
Father: receive our prayer. For you alone are the Holy One, you alone are the
Lord, you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ, with
the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father. Amen.
Prayer of the
Day (Pastor)
Let us pray…Stir up your power, O Lord, and come. With your great
might, give us your help, that whatever is hindered by our sins may be speedily
accomplished by your grace; for you live and reign with the Father and the Holy
Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
First Reading: 2
Samuel 7:1-11, 16 (Worship
Assistant)
1When the king lived in his house and the Lord had
given him rest from all his surrounding enemies, 2the king said to
Nathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God
dwells in a tent.” 3And Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that is
in your heart, for the Lord is with you.” 4But that same night the
word of the Lord came to Nathan, 5“Go and tell my servant David,
‘Thus says the Lord: Would you build me a house to dwell in? 6I have
not lived in a house since the day I brought up the people of Israel from Egypt
to this day, but I have been moving about in a tent for my dwelling. 7In
all places where I have moved with all the people of Israel, did I speak a word
with any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people
Israel, saying, “Why have you not built me a house of cedar?” 8Now,
therefore, thus you shall say to my servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord of
hosts, I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, that you should
be prince over my people Israel. 9And I have been with you wherever
you went and have cut off all your enemies from before you. And I will make for
you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. 10And
I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, so that they
may dwell in their own place and be disturbed no more. And violent men shall
afflict them no more, as formerly, 11from the time that I appointed
judges over my people Israel. And I will give you rest from all your enemies.
Moreover, the Lord declares to you that the Lord will make you a house.
16‘“And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure
forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.’” This is the word of the Lord,
thanks be to God.
Psalm: Psalm # 89 - read responsively (Worship Assistant)
The Lord
promised David that he would establish his descendants forever and put him on
the throne. This promise was fulfilled in David’s life but extended for
generations with the culmination of the covenant being realized in Jesus
Christ.
Your love, O Lord,
forever will I sing; from age to age my mouth will proclaim your faithfulness.
For I am
persuaded that your love is established forever; you have set your faithfulness
firmly in the heavens.
“I have made a
covenant with my chosen one; I have sworn an oath to David my servant:
‘I will
establish your line forever, and preserve your throne
for all generations.’”
The heavens
bear witness to your wonders, O Lord, and to your faithfulness in the assembly
of the holy ones;
You spoke
once in a vision and said to your faithful people: “I have set the crown upon a
warrior and have exalted one chosen out of the people.
I have found
David my servant; with my holy oil have I anointed him.
My hand
will hold him fast and my arm will make him strong.
No enemy shall
deceive him, nor any wicked man bring him down.
I will
crush his foes before him and strike down those who hate him.”
My
faithfulness and love shall be with him, and he shall be victorious through my
name.
I shall
make his dominion extend from the Great Sea to the River.
He will say to
me, ‘You are my Father, my God, and the rock of my salvation.’
I will make
him my firstborn and higher than the kings of the earth.
I will keep my
love for him forever, and my covenant will stand firm for him.
I will
establish his line forever and his throne as the days of heaven.”
Second Reading: Romans 16:25-27 (Worship
Assistant)
Paul ended his letter to the
believers in Rome with a final blessing. He reminded them that there is one who
is able to give strength, it is the one about whom the
apostle preached - Jesus Christ. What was once a mystery of faith is now known.
What was once hidden has now been revealed through the prophets to all nations.
25Now to him who is able to
strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ,
according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages 26but
has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known
to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the
obedience of faith — 27to the only wise God be glory forevermore
through Jesus Christ! Amen. This is the Word
of God, word of life, thanks be to God.
Holy Gospel: Luke 1:26-38 (Pastor)
The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke, the 1st
Chapter. Glory to you, O Lord.
To a young virgin girl an
angel was sent with an incredible message. “The Lord is with you,” he said as
he laid out for her God’s plan for the salvation of the world. This young girl,
not yet married, would be the chosen vessel for God’s one and only Son. Mary
would be the God-bearer and was instructed to name the infant Jesus, which
means “God saves.”
26In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God
to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27to a virgin betrothed to a
man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was
Mary. 28And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the
Lord is with you!” 29But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this
might be. 30And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for
you have found favor with God. 31And behold, you will conceive in
your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32He
will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.
And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33and
he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be
no end.” 34And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am
a virgin?” 35And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come
upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the
child to be born will be called holy — the Son of God. 36And behold,
your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is
the sixth month with her who was called barren. 37For nothing will
be impossible with God.” 38And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant
of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed
from her. This is the gospel of the Lord, praise to you, O Christ.
Sermon Pastor
John
Hymn of the Day “The Advent of Our God” LBW # 22 vs. 1 - 6
The advent of our God Shall be our theme
for prayer; Come, let us meet him on the road And
place for him prepare.
The everlasting Son Incarnate stoops to
be, Himself the servant's form puts on To set his
people free.
Come, Zion's daughter, rise To meet your lowly king, Nor let your faithless heart
despise The peace he comes to bring.
As judge, on clouds of light, He soon
will come again, And all his scattered saints unite With
him on high to reign.
Before the dawning day Let sin be put to
flight; No longer let the law hold sway, But walk in
freedom's light.
All glory to the Son, Who
comes to set us free, With Father, Spirit, ever one Through all eternity.
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; by the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate from the virgin Mary, and was made man. 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. With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and
glorified. He has spoken through the
prophets. We believe in one holy catholic
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.
Prayers
of the Church (Worship
Assistant)
(P): Walking in the
light of the coming Savior, let us pray for the church, the world, and all who
await God’s justice. A brief silence.
(W): Emmanuel, God with us, through your Word you beckon
all people to the light of your love. May your Spirit kindle in your church,
and particularly this congregation, a desire and ability to carry the torch of
faithful witness to a world in need of your message of hope and salvation. Lord in your
mercy, hear our prayer.
(W): Protecting God, grant safe journeys to those who will
be traveling in the days ahead. May they be blessed with joyful homecomings.
Bring us all to peaceful rest as we find ourselves at home in your presence. Grant that as we celebrate the nativity of our
Lord, we would be filled with a renewed hope for the world you love. Let
Christ’s love shine through us and illuminate a world in darkness and need. Lord in your mercy, hear
our prayer.
(W): Holy Lord, give your wisdom and compassion to all who
rule and guide the nations of this world. Through their wise leadership may
your saving justice be made known. Put an end to violence and destruction in
the world and let your peace reign in every corner of the creation. Lord in your mercy, hear
our prayer.
(W): God of healing
and wholeness, grant the light of your healing presence to all who are
suffering illness, loss, grief, or anxiety this season. Give to all in any kind
of need the assurance of your life-giving presence in the
midst of trials. Remind all who are
facing troubles that you are God-with-us and that your promises of new life,
here and now and in eternity, are trustworthy and true. Lord in your mercy, hear
our prayer.
(P): Into your hands,
gracious God, we commend all for who we pray, trusting in your steadfast love
and faithfulness, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer
Let us pray the prayer our Savior
taught us…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.
Blessing (Pastor)
The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord’s face shine on you with
grace and mercy. The Lord look upon you with favor and give you peace. Amen.
Dismissal (Worship Assistant)
Go in peace. Christ is with you. Thanks be to God.
Sending Hymn “Hark, the
Glad Sound” LBW # 35, vs 1 – 4
Hark the glad sound! The Savior comes, The
Savior promised long; Let ev'ry heart prepare a
throne And ev'ry voice a
song.
He comes the pris'ners
to release, In Satan's bondage held. The gates of brass before him burst, The iron fetters yield.
He comes the broken heart to bind, The bleeding soul to cure, And with the treasures of his
grace To enrich the humble poor.
Our glad hosannas, Prince of Peace, Your welcome shall proclaim, And heav'n's
eternal arches ring With your beloved name.
Postlude Voluntary
on “Veni Emmanuel”