Sunday, December 6, 2020 – recording
Second Sunday of Advent
Prelude: Meditation on “Divinum Mysterium”
Welcome and Announcements
Gathering Hymn: “Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus” – LBW # 30,
vs 1 - 2
Confession & Forgiveness
Greeting & Kyrie
Canticle of Praise: “Glory to God…”
Prayer of the Day
First Reading, Isaiah 40:1-11
Psalm # 85
Second Reading, 2 Peter 3:8-14
Holy Gospel, Mark 1:1-8
Sermon
Hymn of the Day: “My Faith Looks Up to Thee” – LBW # 479, vs
1 - 4
Nicene Creed
Prayers of the Church
The Lord’s Prayer
Blessing
Dismissal
Sending Hymn: “Comfort, Comfort, Now My People” - LBW # 29,
vs 1 – 3
Postlude: Voluntary on “Freu Dich Sehr”
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(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 “Divinum Mysterium”
Welcome and Announcements Pastor John
Gathering Hymn “Come, Thou
Long-Expected Jesus” LBW # 30, vs 1 - 2
Come, thou long-expected Jesus, Born to set thy people free; From our fears and sins release
us; Let us find our rest in thee. Israel's strength and consolation, Hope of
all the earth thou art, Dear desire of ev'ry nation, Joy
of ev'ry longing heart.
Born thy people to deliver, Born a child, and yet a king; Born to reign in us forever, Now
thy gracious kingdom bring. By thine own eternal Spirit Rule in all our hearts
alone; By thine all-sufficient merit Raise us to thy glorious throne.
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)
First Reading: Isaiah 40:1-11 (Worship
Assistant)
1Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. 2Speak
tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her
iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all
her sins. 3A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the
Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 4Every
valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill
be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a
plain. 5And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh
shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” 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. 9Go on 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. This
is the word of the Lord, thanks be to God.
Psalm: Psalm # 85 - read responsively (Worship Assistant)
The psalmist spoke about God’s change of heart in regard to his adulterous and faithless people saying,
“You withdrew all your wrath; you turned from your hot anger.” Confidently the
psalmist proclaimed that God’s faithfulness would prevail to save the people
from their sins as righteousness would come together with peace.
You have been gracious to your land, O Lord, you have
restored the good fortune of Jacob.
You have
forgiven the iniquity of your people and blotted out all their sins.
You have
withdrawn all your fury and turned yourself from your wrathful indignation.
Restore us
then, O God our Savior; let your anger depart from us.
Will you be
displeased with us forever? will you prolong your anger from age to age?
Will you
not give us life again, that your people may rejoice in you?
Show us your
mercy, O Lord, and grant us your salvation.
I will
listen to what the Lord God is saying, for he is speaking peace to his faithful
people and to those who turn their hearts to him.
Truly, his
salvation is very near to those who fear him, that his
glory may dwell in our land.
Mercy and
truth have met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.
Truth shall
spring up from the earth, and righteousness shall look down from heaven.
The Lord
will indeed grant prosperity, and our land will yield its increase.
Righteousness
shall go before him, and peace shall be a pathway for his feet.
Second Reading: 2 Peter 3:8-14 (Worship
Assistant)
Peter reminded believers that
the end would certainly come, even though it seemed like forever since Christ
was with them. To God, the apostle said, a thousand years is just one day, and
one day is as a thousand years. Human time and God’s time are two completely
different things. Because of that, the faithful are not to fear - we will not
be forsaken by the One who transcends time and place.
8Do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the
Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9The
Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient
toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach
repentance. 10But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and
then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be
burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will
be exposed. 11Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what
sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, 12waiting
for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens
will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they
burn! 13But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens
and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. 14Therefore, beloved,
since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or
blemish, and at peace. This is the Word of
God, word of life, thanks be to God.
Holy
Gospel: Mark 1:1-8 (Pastor)
The Holy Gospel according to St. Mark, the 1st
Chapter. Glory to you, O Lord.
As the prophet Isaiah
foretold, John the Baptist came crying out in the wilderness urging people to
prepare the way of the Lord and to make his paths straight. The forerunner to
Christ urged the people to repent so their hearts would be ready to receive the
Messiah. We, too, are called to turn from sin and turn toward Jesus.
1The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son
of God. 2As it is written in Isaiah the prophet, “Behold, I send my
messenger before your face, who will prepare your way, 3the voice of
one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths
straight,’” 4John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and
proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5And
all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being
baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 6Now
John was clothed with camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and
ate locusts and wild honey. 7And he preached, saying, “After me
comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to
stoop down and untie. 8I have baptized you with water, but he will
baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” This is the gospel of the Lord, praise to
you, O Christ.
Sermon Pastor
John
Hymn of the Day “My Faith Looks Up to Thee” LBW # 479 vs. 1 - 4
My faith looks up to thee, Thou Lamb of
Calvary, Savior divine! Now hear me while I pray, Take
all my guilt away, Oh, let me from this day Be wholly thine!
May thy rich grace impart Strength to my
fainting heart, My zeal inspire; As thou hast died for
me, Oh, may my love to thee Pure, warm, and changeless be, A living fire!
While life’s dark maze I tread And griefs around me spread, Be thou my guide; Bid darkness
turn to day, Wipe sorrow’s tears away, Nor let me ever stray From thee aside.
When ends life’s transient dream, When death’s cold, sullen stream Shall o'er me roll; Blest
Savior, then, in love Fear and distrust remove; Oh, bear me safe above, A
ransomed soul!
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): God of all comfort, strengthen all those who are
weary and suffering that they might be renewed by your Holy Word. Guide your
church to speak words of grace, mercy, and hope into a world wracked with pain
and angst. Help us to trust that your Word endures forever and can be relied
upon for the truth. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
(W): Holy Father, as winter months bring colder
temperatures in many parts of the world, work through your faithful people to
care for those who are without adequate shelter. You are our dwelling place in
all generations, and we trust that you will provide shelter for the homeless,
warmth for the cold, and food for the hungry. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
(W): Creator God, all things wither and perish, but you
are the source of life even out of death. Remind those who sit in deepest gloom
and despair that they are not beyond the reach of your love. Speak your word of
hope and reconciliation to those people in your world who abide in dark valleys
of division, despair, and tyranny. Bring
all people to the light of your joyous peace. Lord in your
mercy, hear our prayer.
(W): Faithful God, you called John to prepare the way for Jesus, and you call
each of us to do the same. Be with all the baptized, that we would continue to
be strengthened through Word and Sacrament, attend to our relationship with
you, and be bold in our proclamation of your saving love and desire for all
people to know you. 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 “Comfort,
Comfort, Now My People” LBW # 29, vs 1 – 3
“Comfort, comfort now my people; Tell of
peace!” So says our God. Comfort those who sit in darkness Mourning under sorrow’s
load. To God's people now proclaim That God's pardon waits for them! Tell them
that their war is over; God will reign in peace forever!
For the herald’s voice is crying In the desert far and near, Calling us to true repentance, Since
the Kingdom now is here. Oh, that warning cry obey! Now prepare for God a way! Let
the valleys rise to meet him, And the hills bow to greet him!
Straight shall be what long was crooked,
And the rougher places plain! Let your hearts be true and humble, As befits his
holy reign! For the glory of the Lord Now on earth is shed abroad, And all flesh shall see the token That God's word is never
broken.
Postlude Voluntary
on “Freu Dich Sehr”