Service Outline for Sunday, January 11, 2026

                             Welcome to worship at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church!

PRELUDE               

Confession and Forgiveness

All may make the sign of the cross, the sign that is marked at baptism, as the presiding minister begins.

Blessed be the holy Trinity, ☩ one God,

the Creator of heaven and earth,

the Word who spoke life into being,

the Wind stirring the waters.

Amen.

Let us turn in confession to the one who knows us completely.

Silence is kept for reflection.

Mighty God, lover of justice,

you call us to life in community,

but we have served our own interests

at the expense of our neighbors.

We have sown deceit where honesty was needed.

We say the right words,

but our hearts are far from you.

Turn us to seek your face.

Knit us together and give us the mind of Christ,

that we may do justice, love mercy,

and walk humbly with you, our God.

Amen.

 

The former things have passed away,

and new things God now declares:

Like a spring of water that never fails,

God covers you in the righteousness of Christ,

and forgives your sin in ☩ Jesus’ name.

May the Spirit give you strength to live for others,

and bless you with the gift of peace.

Amen.

HYMN                          Brightest and Best of the Stars                              #303

GREETING

The grace of our Lord, Jesus Christ, the love of God, and communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

And also with you.

 

KYRIE

 

HYMN OF PRAISE                            “Rise, Shine, You People”                                #665 v. 1

PRAYER OF THE DAY

Children's message

First Reading: Isaiah 42:1-9
 1 Here is my servant, whom I uphold,
  my chosen, in whom my soul delights;
 I have put my spirit upon him;
  he will bring forth justice to the nations.
 2 He will not cry out or lift up his voice
  or make it heard in the street;
 3 a bruised reed he will not break,
  and a dimly burning wick he will not quench;
  he will faithfully bring forth justice.
 4 He will not grow faint or be crushed
  until he has established justice in the earth,
  and the coastlands wait for his teaching.

 5 Thus says God, the Lord,
  who created the heavens and stretched them out,
  who spread out the earth and what comes from it,
 who gives breath to the people upon it
  and spirit to those who walk in it:
 6 I am the Lord; I have called you in righteousness;
  I have taken you by the hand and kept you;
 I have given you as a covenant to the people,
  a light to the nations,
  7 to open the eyes that are blind,
 to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon,
  from the prison those who sit in darkness.
 8 I am the Lord; that is my name;
  my glory I give to no other,
  nor my praise to idols.
 9 See, the former things have come to pass,
  and new things I now declare;
 before they spring forth,
  I tell you of them.

Psalm: Psalm 29

 1 Ascribe to the | Lord, you gods,
  ascribe to the Lord glo- | ry and strength.
 2 Ascribe to the Lord the glory | due God’s name;
  worship the Lord in the beau- | ty of holiness.
 3 The voice of the Lord is upon the waters; the God of | glory thunders;
  the Lord is upon the | mighty waters.
 4 The voice of the Lord is a pow- | erful voice;
  the voice of the Lord is a | voice of splendor. R
 5 The voice of the Lord breaks the | cedar trees;
  the Lord breaks the ce- | dars of Lebanon;
 6 the Lord makes Lebanon skip | like a calf,
  and Mount Hermon like a | young wild ox.
 7 The voice | of the Lord
  bursts forth in | lightning flashes.
 8 The voice of the Lord | shakes the wilderness;
  the Lord shakes the wilder- | ness of Kadesh. R
 9 The voice of the Lord makes the oak trees writhe and strips the | forests bare.
  And in the temple of the Lord all are | crying, “Glory!”
 10 The Lord sits enthroned a- | bove the flood;
  the Lord sits enthroned as king for- | evermore.
 11 O Lord, give strength | to your people;
  give them, O Lord, the bless- | ings of peace. R

Second Reading: Acts 10:34-43

34 Peter began to speak to [Cornelius and his household]: “I truly understand that God shows no partiality, 35 but in every people anyone who fears him and practices righteousness is acceptable to him. 36 You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ—he is Lord of all. 37 That message spread throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John announced: 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. 39 We are witnesses to all that he did both in Judea and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree, 40 but God raised him on the third day and allowed him to appear, 41 not to all the people but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses and who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42 He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one ordained by God as judge of the living and the dead. 43 All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”

 

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

 Gospel: Matthew 3:13-17

13 Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. 14 John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15 But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. 16 And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw God’s Spirit descending like a dove and alighting on him. 17 And a voice from the heavens said, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”

SERMON

HYMN                  Christ, When for Us You Were Baptized                                   #304

 APOSTLES CREED

I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, God's only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again; he ascended  into heaven, he is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the           forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.   Amen

 

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE, PEACE, OFFERING

GREAT THANKSGIVING

 SANCTUS

 

COMMUNION PRAYER

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

 

 

DISTRIBUTION OF COMMUNION

HYMN                           Baptized in Water                             #456

POST COMMUNION PROCLAMATION AND PRAYER

BLESSING

HYMN               Songs of Thankfulness and Praise                                         #310

 

DISMISSAL 

POSTLUDE                            

 

 Liturgy and hymns printed and streamed with permission through OneLicense. A-710659

Service Outline for Sunday, December 21, 2025 (Blue Christmas)

Welcome to worship at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church!

 

 A Service for the Longest Night “Blue Christmas”

December 21, 2025,

7:00 P.M.

 

Welcome to this “Longest Night” service. The name comes from the day in December when we experience the shortest day and the longest night of the year. But the name also applies to the feeling many people have during the Christmas season. It is the “long dark night of the soul,” or “the winter of our discontent” in which the memories of the past and the pain of the present darken our lives.

 

And so tonight we bring our pain and our anguish, our doubts and our fears to this service, acknowledging the reality of sorrow and suffering amidst the lights and glitter of holiday cheer. But we do not come as those who have no hope, for we trust that the baby born in Bethlehem is the light of the world, the light no darkness can overcome.

 

On this night we do not walk alone. We walk with each other and with Jesus Christ who was and who is and who is to come.

 

GATHERING

Prelude                         “les Sauvage Fleurs”             Paul Clyderman

 

Call to Worship

One: There is something deeper than trouble.
All: It is mercy.
One: God's amazing grace;
All: Carrying, lifting, holding us in all seasons.
One: There is something more powerful than despair.
All: It is mercy.
One: God's amazing love;
All: Seeing us through dark nights, waves of sadness,      

       mountains of grief.
One: There is something longer lasting than pain.
All: It is mercy.
One: God's healing touch;
All: Bringing us hope, leading us to joy, teaching us to sing.

 

 Gathering Hymn                                                                           ELW #257

                             “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel”

 

Litany of Remembering & Lighting the Advent Candles

 

P          In the light of the first candle we remember those we have loved and lost; their names, their faces, their voices and the memories that bind them to us.

C         The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.

                                     Silence is observed

 

P          In the light of the second candle we offer up to God the pain of our loss; the loss of relationships, the loss of jobs, the loss of health, the loss of joy and peace.

C         The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.

                                      Silence is observed

 

P          In the light of the third candle we remember our journey through this season; the feelings of disconnect; the anger, the heartbreak, the longing, the loneliness.

C         The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.

                                       Silence is observed

 

P          In the light of the fourth candle we remember our faith and the gift of hope that is the Christmas story, for God has come to earth to dwell with us as Immanuel.

C         The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.

                                        Silence is observed

 

Prayer

P          Let us pray: O Lord, support us all the day long of this troubled life, until the shadows lengthen and the evening comes and the busy world is hushed, the fever of life is over, and our work is done. Then, in your mercy, grant us a safe lodging, and a holy rest, and peace at the last, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

C         Amen.

 

Please be seated.

 

Word

 

Psalm 121

P          Let us pray,

C         Come, Lord God, and be present with us in our suffering.                 

            Fill our darkness with light and give us the strength to lift

            our eyes to the hills.  Help us to see you coming to our aid.              

            Amen

 

Isaiah 43:1-7

P          Let us pray,

C         Come, Lord Christ, and be present with us as we pass through the rivers of doubt, the floods of                     sorrow, and the   fires of suffering, that we may pass freely to the other side   confident in your enduring love.  Amen

 

Matthew 5:1-10

P          Let us pray,

C         Come, Holy Spirit, and bless us in this time, as we mourn  and weep, as we struggle, and as we long for healing.  Fill us with your goodness and remind us always of your promise  to life everlasting.  Amen

 

Sermon                                                              The Rev. Timothy Muse

 

Hymn of the Day                                                                   ELW #279

                                    “O Little Town of Bethlehem”

 

Creed

I believe in God, the Father almighty,

            creator of heaven and earth.

 

I believe in Jesus Christ, God's only Son, our Lord,

            who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,

            born of the Virgin Mary,

            suffered under Pontius Pilate,

            was crucified, died, and was buried;

            he descended to the dead.

            On the third day he rose again;

            he ascended into heaven,

            he is seated at the right hand of the Father,

            and he will come to judge the living and the dead.

 

I believe in the Holy Spirit,

            the holy catholic Church,

            the communion of saints,

            the forgiveness of sins,

            the resurrection of the body,

            and the life everlasting.   Amen

Prayers of Intercession

 

P          Walking in the light of the coming Savior, let us pray for the church, the world, and all who await the dawn of God's justice.

 

P          Almighty God, you have knit your chosen people together into one body of Christ.  Give to your whole church in heaven and on earth your light and your peace.  Lord in your mercy:

C         Hear our prayer.

 

P          Give courage and faith to all who mourn, doubt, struggle, and suffer in this season of celebration, that they might have a sure and certain hope in your loving care, and that casting all their burdens on you, they may find strength. Lord in your mercy:

C         Hear our prayer.

 

P          Grant to all of us here, walking as yet by faith, that, where this world groans in grief and pain, your Holy Spirit may lead us to bear witness to your light and life.  Lord in your mercy:

C         Hear our prayer.

 

P          Help us, faced with things we cannot understand, to believe and trust in the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, and the resurrection to life everlasting.  Lord in your mercy:

C         Hear our prayer.

 

P          Show us your light, O God, and bring us to the day of our redemption, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

C         Amen.

 

Sharing of the Peace

 

P          The peace of Christ be with you always.

C         And also with you.

  

Prayer

P          God of abundance, we bring before you the precious fruits of your creation, and with them our very lives.  Teach us patience and

            hope as we care for all those in need until the coming of your Son,

            our Savior and Lord.

C         Amen.

 

The Great Thanksgiving

 

P:   The Lord be with you.

Q:  And also with you.

R:   Lift up your hearts.

C:        We lift them to the Lord

P:         Let us give thanks to the Lord, our God.

C:        It is right to give our thanks and praise

 

P          It is indeed right, our duty and our joy… we praise your name and join their unending hymn:

 

Sanctus

 

Eucharistic Prayer

 Lord’s Prayer

C         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

 

Invitation to Communion

 

P          These are God’s gifts, you are God’s people, come and be fed.

 

Lamb of God

 

 

(All who believe in Jesus Christ are welcome to commune. You will come forward and receive the bread then take a cup with wine. We offer grape juice and glutton free wafers, if that is your desire. If you do not wish to receive communion, you are welcome to come forward for a blessing.)

 

After everyone has received communion there will be an opportunity to come forward for prayer, laying on of hands, and anointing.

Post-Communion Blessing

P          The body and blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ strengthen you and keep you in his grace.

C         Amen.

 

Prayer

P          Holy One, we give you thanks that in this bread and cup we have   feasted again on your endless love.  Let that love overflow more      and more in our lives, that we may be messengers to prepare         your way, harvesters of justice and righteousness,           and bearers     of your eternal Word, our Savior Jesus Christ.

C         Amen.

 

Blessing

P          May God direct your ways in peace, make you abound in love for   one another and for all, and strengthen your hearts until the          coming of our Lord Jesus.   Almighty God, Father, + Son, and         Holy Spirit, bless you now and forever.

C         Amen.

 

Sending Hymn                                                                          ELW #543

                              “Go, My Children, With My Blessing”

 

Dismissal

P          Go in peace. Christ is with you.

C         Thanks be to God.

 

Postlude                            “Coventry Carol”                      Philip Keveren

 

WORSHIP LEADERS

 

Preaching Minister:                                                   Pastor Timothy Muse

Presiding Minister:                                                Pastor Diana Thompson

Organist:                                                                                   Kathy Sloan

 

Christmas Eve Services:

12:00 PM Chapel Service

6:00 PM Family Service

9:30 PM Traditional Liturgy

 

All are welcome to come and celebrate!

 

  Liturgy and hymns printed and streamed with permission through OneLicense. A-710659