Service Outline for Sunday, December 3, 2023

St. Paul’s Lutheran Church

Alliance, Ohio

Sunday, December 3, 2023

9:30 AM

 

PRELUDE                                My Lord What a Morning                      R. Billingham

Confession and Forgiveness

 Blessed be the holy Trinity, one God, who opens the heavens and draws near to us with salvation. Amen.

God is patient and merciful, desiring all to come to repentance.

Trusting this promise of grace, let us confess our sin.

 Silence is kept for reflection.

Everlasting God,

you love justice and you hate wrongdoing. We confess the fear, greed, and self-centeredness that make us reluctant to work against oppression. We are complicit in systems of exploitation. We choose comfort over courage. We are careless with creation’s bounty. Look upon us with mercy. Turn our hearts again to you. Make us glad to do your will and to walk in your ways

for the sake of our waiting world.

Amen.

Hear these words of assurance: God clothes you with garments of salvation and covers you with robes of righteousness. In the tender compassion of Jesus Christ,

your sins are forgiven. God’s covenant is eternal, and God’s blessing rests upon us all.

Amen.

 

HYMN                    Hark a Thrilling Voice is Sounding                  #246

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        Light One Candle to Watch for Messiah      #240 v.1

 

PRAYER OF THE DAY, CHIldren’s Sermon

First Reading: Isaiah 64:1-9

¹O that you would tear open the heavens and come down, so that the mountains would quake at your presence—²as when fire kindles brushwood and the fire causes water to boil—to make your name known to your adversaries, so that the nations might tremble at your presence! ³When you did awesome deeds that we did not expect, you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence. ⁴From ages past no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who works for those who wait for him. ⁵You meet those who gladly do right, those who remember you in your ways. But you were angry, and we sinned; because you hid yourself we transgressed. ⁶We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy cloth. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away. ⁷There is no one who calls on your name, or attempts to take hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us, and have delivered us into the hand of our iniquity. ⁸Yet, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand. ⁹Do not be exceedingly angry, O Lord, and do not remember iniquity forever. Now consider, we are all your people.

The Word of the Lord.  Thanks be to God.

PSALM 80:1-7, 17-19                                                                                            ¹Hear, O Shepherd of Israel, leading Joseph ^| like a flock; shine forth, you that are enthroned           upon the cherubim.

²In the presence of Ephraim, Benjamin, ^| and Manasseh, stir up your strength and come to   help us.
³Restore ^| us, O God; let your face shine upon us, and we ^| shall be saved.
⁴O Lord^| God of hosts, how long will your anger fume when your ^| people pray? 
⁵You have fed them with the ^| bread of tears; you have given them bowls of ^| tears to drink.
⁶You have made us the derision ^| of our neighbors, and our enemies laugh ^| us to scorn.
⁷Restore us, O ^| God of hosts; let your face shine upon us, and we ^| shall be saved.
¹⁷Let your hand be upon the one at ^| your right hand, the one you have made so strong for    yourself. 
¹⁸And so will we never turn a- ^| way from you; give us life, that we may call upon your name.
¹⁹Restore us, O Lord^| God of hosts; let your face shine upon us, and we ^| shall be saved. 

SECOND READING: 1 Corinthians 1:3-9                                                                      ³Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. ⁴I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus, ⁵for in every way you have been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind—⁶just as the testimony of Christ has been strengthened among you—⁷so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁸He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you may be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹God is faithful; by him you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.                           

The Word of the Lord Thanks be to God.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

GOSPEL: Mark 13:24-37                                                                                

The Holy Gospel according to Saint Mark the 13^th chapter.  Glory to you, O Lord.                

[Jesus said:] ²⁴“In those days, after that suffering, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, ²⁵and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. ²⁶Then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in clouds’ with great power and glory. ²⁷Then he will send out the angels, and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven. ²⁸“From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. ²⁹So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. ³⁰Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. ³¹Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. ³²“But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. ³³Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come. ³⁴It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his slaves in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to be on the watch. ³⁵Therefore, keep awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or at dawn, ³⁶or else he may find you asleep when he comes suddenly. ³⁷And what I say to you I say to all: Keep awake.”

The Gospel of the Lord.  Praise to you, O Christ.

 SERMON

HYMN                 Rejoice, Rejoice Believers                    #244

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 Intercession, PEACE, OFFERING

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         Christ, Be Our Light                             #715

PRAYER, BLESSING

HYMN                   The King Shall Come                      #260

 

DISMISSAL 

POSTLUDE                   Praise the Lord, Rise Up Rejoicing                          W. Wold

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