Welcome to worship at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church!
*Please stand, as you are able.
Bold indicates congregation’s response
* 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, who sends the word with angels, who is made flesh among all peoples, and who breathes peace on all the earth. Amen.
In Christ, we are bold to name our sin and cry out for peace.
Silence is kept for reflection.
Holy God,
we confess our sin
before you.
We replace compassion
with competition.
We seek what is mighty
while ignoring the meek.
We are quick to anger
but slow to forgive.
We have not put on love
in harmony with you.
Wrap us in the grace of
your powerful Word.
Swaddle our hearts with
your peace,
that all we do, in word
or deed,
may reflect your love
born among us.
Amen.
I bring you good news of
great joy for all people: God has come among us in the child born of Mary,
Christ the Lord. + In Christ your sins are forgiven and you are clothed in
peace.
Amen.
* GREETING
The grace of our Savior Jesus Christ, Word made flesh, born of Mary, be
with you all.
And
also with you.
* DIALOGUE
The people
who walked in darkness have seen a great light
The light
shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
Those who
dwelt in the land of deep darkness, on them light has shined.
We have beheld Christ’s
glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father.
To us a
child is born, to us a Son is given.
In the Word was life, and the life was the light of all people.
* Prayer of the Day
Shine into our hearts the
light of your wisdom, O God, and open our minds to the knowledge of your word, that
in all things we may think and act according to your good will and may live
continually in the light of your Son, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with
you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen
1ST LESSON: Isaiah 9:2-7
2The people who walked in
darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep
darkness— on them light has shined. 3 You have multiplied
the nation, you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with
joy at the harvest, as people exult when dividing plunder. 4 For
the yoke of their burden, and the bar across their shoulders, the rod of
their oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian.5 For all the boots
of the tramping warriors and all the garments rolled in blood
shall be burned as fuel for the fire. 6 For
a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders;
and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of
Peace. 7 His authority shall grow continually, and there shall
be endless peace for the throne of David and his kingdom. He will establish and
uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time onward and
forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of
hosts will do this.
2ND LESSON: Micah 5:2-5a
2 But you, O Bethlehem of
Ephrathah, who are one of the little clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me one who is to rule in Israel, whose origin is
from of old, from ancient days. 3 Therefore he shall give them
up until the time
when she who is in labor has brought forth; then the rest of his kindred shall
return to the people of Israel. 4 And he shall stand and feed
his flock in the strength of the Lord,
in the majesty of the name of the Lord his
God. And they shall live secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the
earth; 5 and he shall be the one of peace.
If the Assyrians come
into our land and tread upon our soil, we will raise against them seven
shepherds and eight installed as rulers.
3rd lesson: Luke 1:26-38
126 In the sixth month the
angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to
a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The
virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said,
“Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” 29 But she was
much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might
be. 30 The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for
you have found favor with God. 31 And now, you will
conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He
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 ancestor David. 33 He
will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no
end.” 34 Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I
am a virgin?” 35 The angel said to 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 holy; he will be called Son of God. 38 Then
Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to
your word.” Then the angel departed from her
4TH LESSON: Luke 2:1-16
2 In those days a decree
went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This
was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of
Syria. 3 All went to their own towns to be
registered. 4 Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth
in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was
descended from the house and family of David. 5 He went to
be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a
child. 6 While they were there, the time came for her to
deliver her child. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn
son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there
was no place for them in the inn. 8 In that region there were
shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 Then
an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around
them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to
them, “Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for
all the people: 11 to you is born this day in the city of
David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This
will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and
lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the
angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those
whom he favors!” 15 When the angels had left them and gone into
heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see
this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 So
they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the
manger.
5TH LESSON: Matthew 2:1-18 DIANA (LECTERN)
In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea,
wise me from the East came to Jerusalem, 2 asking, “Where
is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at
its rising, and have come to pay him homage.” 3 When
King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; 4 and
calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired
of them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 They told
him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet:6 ‘And
you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a
ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.’” 7 Then
Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the
exact time when the star had appeared. 8 Then he sent them
to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child; and when you
have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.” 9 When
they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star
that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where
the child was. 10 When they saw that the star had stopped,
they were overwhelmed with joy. 11 On entering the
house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid
him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of
gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 And having been warned
in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another
road. 13 Now after they had left, an angel of the
Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up, take the child and his
mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is
about to search for the child, to destroy him.” 14 Then
Joseph[h] got
up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt, 15 and
remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been
spoken by the Lord through the prophet, “Out of Egypt I have called my son.” 16 When
Herod saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, he was infuriated, and he
sent and killed all the children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old
or under, according to the time that he had learned from the wise men. 17 Then
was fulfilled what had been spoken through the prophet Jeremiah:
18 “A voice was heard
in Ramah,
wailing and loud lamentation,
Rachel weeping for her children;
she refused to be consoled, because they are no more.”
* APOSTLES CREED GAYLE (PULPIT)
Joining our voices with the church of every time
and every place we confess our faith..
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
* 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
* BLESSING
*DISMISSAL
