Christmas Eve Service, December 24, 2021

 

Christmas Eve

St. Paul’s Lutheran Church

Alliance, Ohio

Friday, December 24, 2021

 

* Please stand, as you are able

Bold print indicates congregation’s response. 

PRELUDE    Carol of the Bells                    arr.  Sherman

THE PROCLAMATION OF THE BIRTH OF CHRIST

Today, the twenty–fifth day of December, unknown ages from the time when God created the heavens and the earth and then formed man and woman in his own image.

 Several thousand years after the flood, when God made the rainbow shine forth as a sign of the covenant. Twenty–one centuries from the time of Abraham and Sarah; thirteen centuries after Moses led the people of Israel out of Egypt. Eleven hundred years from the time of Ruth and the Judges; one thousand years from the anointing of David as king; in the sixty–fifth week according to the prophecy of Daniel.

 In the one hundred and ninety–fourth Olympiad; the seven hundred and fifty–second year from the foundation of the city of Rome. The forty–second year of the reign of Octavian Augustus;

the whole world being at peace, Jesus Christ, eternal God and Son of the eternal Father, desiring to sanctify the world by his most merciful coming, being conceived by the Holy Spirit, and nine months having passed since his conception, was born in Bethlehem of Judea of the Virgin Mary.

 Today is the nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ according to the flesh.

*HYMN         O Come, All Ye Faithful        #283 vs 1-3

 

 *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.

*Call to worship

Come, let us celebrate God’s gifts in this joyous season.
Every good gift and every perfect is from above.

 Come, let us worship the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

O come, let us worship him!

 Come, let us humble ourselves before the Lord, recognizing that we live in the darkness of our own sin, undeserving of his gifts.

Lord, have mercy on us.

 The true light, which gives light to everyone, have come into the world.

From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace already given.

Come, let us adore him,

Christ the Lord, our good and perfect gift sent from above.

 

Hymn of Praise             Angels We Have Heard on High       #289

FIRST READING: 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. ³You 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. ⁴For 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. ⁵For all the boots of the tramping warriors and all the garments rolled in blood shall be burned as fuel for the fire. ⁶For 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. ⁷His 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.

 The Word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

 

PSALM 96

¹Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth.

²Sing to the LORD, bless the name of the LORD; proclaim God's salvation from day to day.

³Declare God's glory among the nations and God's wonders among all peoples.

⁴For great is the LORD and greatly to be praised, more to be feared than all gods. 

⁵As for all the gods of the nations, they are but idols; but you, O LORD, have made the heavens.

⁶Majesty and magnificence are in your presence; power and splendor are in your sanctuary.

⁷Ascribe to the LORD, you families of the peoples, ascribe to the LORD honor and power.

⁸Ascribe to the LORD the honor due the holy name; bring offerings and enter the courts of the LORD. 

⁹Worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness; tremble before the LORD, all the earth.

¹⁰Tell it out among the nations: "The LORD is king! The one who made the world so firm that it cannot be moved will judge the peoples with equity."

¹¹Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea thunder and all that is in it; let the field be joyful and all that is therein.

¹²Then shall all the trees of the wood shout for joy at your coming, O LORD, for you come to judge the earth.

¹³You will judge the world with righteousness and the peoples with your truth. 

 

SECOND READING: Titus 2:11-14

¹¹The grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all, ¹²training us to renounce impiety and worldly passions, and in the present age to live lives that are self-controlled, upright, and godly, ¹³while we wait for the blessed hope and the manifestation of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.

¹⁴He it is who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify for himself a people of his own who are zealous for good deeds.

 The Word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

 

*hymn         Infant Holy, Infant Lowly     #276

 

*GOSPEL: Luke 1:26-38

The Gospel according to Luke, the First Chapter.

Glory to you, O Lord.

¹In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. ²This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. ³All went to their own towns to be registered. ⁴Joseph 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. ⁵He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. ⁶While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. ⁷And 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.

            ⁸In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for see — I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: ¹¹to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. ¹²This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger." ¹³And 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!"

¹⁵When 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." ¹⁶So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. ¹⁷When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; ¹⁸and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. ¹⁹But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. ²⁰The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

 The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, O Christ.

 

*HYMN         Angels, From The Realms of Glory  #275  vs 1 & 2

 

SERMON

 *HYMN         Hark!  The Herald Angles Sing        #270

*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

HYMN           What Child is This     #296 vs 1 & 3

*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           Good Christian Friends, Rejoice       #288

HYMN           The First Noel            #300

 THE FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS

(As you pass the light to your neighbor, please do not tip the lighted candle.)

6:30 PM and 9:30 PM 

 *HYMN         Silent Night, Holy Night        #281

*BLESSING

*HYMN         Go Tell It On The Mountain #290

*DISMISSAL

 POSTLUDE  Glory to God in the Highest   Pergolesi

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

Service outline for Sunday, December 19, 2021

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

PRELUDE     The Angel Gabriel from Heaven Came      Shackley

 

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 alone does wonders,

who lifts up the lowly,

who fills the hungry with good things.

Amen.

Let us confess our sin, trusting in the tender mercy of our God.

Silence is kept for reflection.

God for whom we wait,

in the presence of one another,

we confess our sin before you.

We fail in believing that your good news is for us.

We falter in our call to tend your creation.

We find our sense of self in material wealth.

We fear those different from ourselves.

We forget that we are your children

and turn away from your love.

Forgive us, Blessed One,

and assure us again of your saving grace.

Amen.

 God, in Christ Jesus, has looked with favor upon you!

Through the power of the Holy Spirit,

+ your sins are forgiven.

You are children of the Most High,

inheritors of the eternal promise,

and recipients of divine mercy.

God strengthens you anew to follow the way of peace.

Amen.

 HYMN       Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus        #254

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                                                          

PRAYER OF THE DAY

Children's message

FIRST READING: Micah 5:2-5a

 ²But 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.

³Therefore 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.

⁴And 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;

^5aand he shall be the one of peace.

PSALMody: Luke 1:46b-55

 ^46bMy soul proclaims the greatness ^| of the Lord, ⁴⁷my spirit rejoices in ^| God my Savior,

⁴⁸for you, Lord, have looked with favor on your ^| lowly servant. From this day all generations will ^| call me blessed:

⁴⁹you, the Almighty, have done great ^| things for me and holy ^| is your name.

⁵⁰You have mercy on ^| those who fear you, from generation to ^| generation.   R

⁵¹You have shown strength ^| with your arm and scattered the proud in ^| their conceit,

⁵²casting down the mighty ^| from their thrones and lifting ^| up the lowly.

⁵³You have filled the hungry ^| with good things and sent the rich ^| away empty.

⁵⁴You have come to the aid of your ^| servant Israel, to remember the prom- ^| ise of mercy,

⁵⁵the promise made ^| to our forebears, to Abraham and his chil- ^| dren forever.   R

 SECOND READING: Hebrews 10:5-10

⁵Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said, "Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired,

but a body you have prepared for me; ⁶in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure.

⁷Then I said, 'See, God, I have come to do your will, O God' (in the scroll of the book it is written of me)."

⁸When he said above, "You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings" (these are offered according to the law), ⁹then he added, "See, I have come to do your will." He abolishes the first in order to establish the second. ¹⁰And it is by God's will that we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

 GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

GOSPEL: Luke 1:39-45 [46-55]

 ³⁹In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, ⁴⁰where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. ⁴¹When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit ⁴²and exclaimed with a loud cry, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. ⁴³And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? ⁴⁴For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. ⁴⁵And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord."

[⁴⁶And Mary said, "My soul magnifies the Lord, ⁷and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

⁴⁸for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; ⁴⁹for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name. ⁵⁰His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. ⁵¹He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. ⁵²He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly;

⁵³he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. ⁵⁴He has helped his servant Israel,

in remembrance of his mercy, ⁵⁵according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever."]

The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, O Christ.

 

SERMON

 HYMN         Savior of the Nations, Come           #263 v. 1,2,6

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 AND 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          O Little Town of Bethlehem         #279     

 

POST COMMUNION PROCLAMATION

POST COMMUNION PRAYER

BLESSING

HYMN               Joy to the World                         #267

DISMISSAL

 POSTLUDE             Rejoice, Rejoice                                     Manz

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

Service outline for Sunday, December 12, 2021

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

PRELUDE                                  Rejoice, Rejoice                                Sedio

 CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS

Blessed be the holy Trinity, + one God,

who alone does wonders,

who lifts up the lowly,

who fills the hungry with good things.

Amen. 

Let us confess our sin, trusting in the tender mercy of our God. 

God for whom we wait,

in the presence of one another,

we confess our sin before you.

We fail in believing that your good news is for us.

We falter in our call to tend your creation.

We find our sense of self in material wealth.

We fear those different from ourselves.

We forget that we are your children

and turn away from your love.

Forgive us, Blessed One,

and assure us again of your saving grace.

Amen.

 

God, in Christ Jesus, has looked with favor upon you!

Through the power of the Holy Spirit,

+ your sins are forgiven.

You are children of the Most High,

inheritors of the eternal promise,

and recipients of divine mercy.

God strengthens you anew to follow the way of peace.

Amen.

 HYMN     Awake! Awake and Great the New Morn     #242 v. 1,4

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      v.1,2,3                                             

PRAYER OF THE DAY

Children's message

FIRST READING: Zephaniah 3:14-20

 ¹⁴Sing aloud, O daughter Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem!

¹⁵The LORD has taken away the judgments against you, he has turned away your enemies.

The king of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst; you shall fear disaster no more.

¹⁶On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: Do not fear, O Zion; do not let your hands grow weak.

¹⁷The LORD, your God, is in your midst, a warrior who gives victory; he will rejoice over you with gladness,

he will renew you in his love; he will exult over you with loud singing ¹⁸as on a day of festival.

I will remove disaster from you, so that you will not bear reproach for it. ¹⁹I will deal with all your oppressors

at that time. And I will save the lame and gather the outcast, and I will change their shame into praise

and renown in all the earth. ²⁰At that time I will bring you home, at the time when I gather you;

for I will make you renowned and praised among all the peoples of the earth, when I restore your fortunes

before your eyes, says the LORD.

 

PSALMODY: Isaiah 12:2-6

 ²Surely God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not ^| be afraid, for the LORD GOD is my strength and my might, and has become ^| my salvation.

³With joy you ^| will draw water from the wells ^| of salvation. 

⁴And you will say in that day: Give thanks to the LORD, call ^| on God's name; make known the deeds of the LORD among the nations; proclaim that this name ^| is exalted.

⁵Sing praises to the LORD, who has done ^| gloriously; let this be known in ^| all the earth.

⁶Shout aloud and sing for joy, O ^| royal Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy ^| One of Israel. 

 

SECOND READING: Philippians 4:4-7

⁴Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. ⁵Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. ⁶Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. ⁷And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

 

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

GOSPEL: Luke 3:7-18

The gospel is announced. Please respond: Glory to you, O Lord.

⁷John said to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? ⁸Bear fruits worthy of repentance. Do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our ancestor'; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. ⁹Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."

            ¹⁰And the crowds asked him, "What then should we do?" ¹¹In reply he said to them, "Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise." ¹²Even tax collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, "Teacher, what should we do?" ¹³He said to them, "Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you." ¹⁴Soldiers also asked him, "And we, what should we do?" He said to them, "Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages."

            ¹⁵As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, ¹⁶John answered all of them by saying, "I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. ¹⁷His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire."

            ¹⁸So, with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people.

The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, O Christ. 

SERMON

HYMN               Hark, the Glad Sound!            #239 v. 1,2,3

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 AND 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        O Come, O Come, Emmanuel (see next page)                      #257    

 

POST COMMUNION PROCLAMATION

POST COMMUNION PRAYER

BLESSING

HYMN              People, Look East       #248 1,4

DISMISSAL

POSTLUDE     O Lord, How Shall I Meet Thee         Manz                                                       

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

Service outline for Sunday, December 5, 2021

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

 PRELUDE   Blest Be the God of Israel      Burkhardt

 CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS

Blessed be the holy Trinity, + one God,

who alone does wonders,

who lifts up the lowly,

who fills the hungry with good things.

Amen.

Let us confess our sin, trusting in the tender mercy of our God.

Silence is kept for reflection.

God for whom we wait,

in the presence of one another,

we confess our sin before you.

We fail in believing that your good news is for us.

We falter in our call to tend your creation.

We find our sense of self in material wealth.

We fear those different from ourselves.

We forget that we are your children

and turn away from your love.

Forgive us, Blessed One,

and assure us again of your saving grace.

Amen.

 God, in Christ Jesus, has looked with favor upon you!

Through the power of the Holy Spirit,

+ your sins are forgiven.

You are children of the Most High,

inheritors of the eternal promise,

and recipients of divine mercy.

God strengthens you anew to follow the way of peace.

Amen.

 HYMN    Prepare the Royal Highway    #264 v. 1,4

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    v.1,2           

PRAYER OF THE DAY

Children's message

FIRST READING: Malachi 3:1-4

¹See, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me, and the LORD whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple. The messenger of the covenant in whom you delight—indeed, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts. ²But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears?

           For he is like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap; ³he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the descendants of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, until they present offerings to the LORD in righteousness. ⁴Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the LORD as in the days of old and as in former years.

 

PSALM: Luke 1:68-79

⁶⁸Blessed are you, Lord, the ^| God of Israel, you have come to your people and ^| set them free.

⁶⁹You have raised up for us a ^| mighty Savior, born of the house of your ^| servant David.  

⁷⁰Through your holy prophets, you promised of old to save us ^| from our enemies, ⁷¹from the hands of ^| all who hate us,

⁷²to show mercy ^| to our forebears, and to remember your ^| holy covenant.

⁷³This was the oath you swore to our ^| father Abraham: ⁷⁴to set us free from the hands of our ^| enemies,

free to worship you ^| without fear, ⁷⁵holy and righteous before you, all the days ^| of our life. 

⁷⁶And you, child, shall be called the prophet of ^| the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to pre- ^| pare the way,

⁷⁷to give God's people knowledge ^| of salvation by the forgiveness ^| of their sins.

⁷⁸In the tender compassion ^| of our God the dawn from on high shall ^| break upon us,

⁷⁹to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shad- ^| ow of death, and to guide our feet into the ^| way of peace. 

SECOND READING: Philippians 1:3-11

³I thank my God every time I remember you, ⁴constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you, ⁵because of your sharing in the gospel from the first day until now. ⁶I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ. ⁷It is right for me to think this way about all of you, because you hold me in your heart, for all of you share in God's grace with me, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. ⁸For God is my witness, how I long for all of you with the compassion of Christ Jesus. ⁹And this is my prayer, that your love may overflow more and more with knowledge and full insight ¹⁰to help you to determine what is best, so that in the day of Christ you may be pure and blameless, ¹¹having produced the harvest of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God.

 

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

GOSPEL: Luke 3:1-6

¹In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was ruler of Galilee, and his brother Philip ruler of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias ruler of Abilene, ²during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. ³He went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, ⁴as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah,

            "The voice of one crying out in the wilderness:

            'Prepare the way of the Lord,

                        make his paths straight.'

                ⁵Every valley shall be filled,

                        and every mountain and hill shall be made low,

            and the crooked shall be made straight,

                        and the rough ways made smooth;

                ⁶and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.'"

 The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, O Christ.

SERMON

HYMN      On Jordan’s Banks the Baptists Cry  #249 v. 1,2,4

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 AND 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     O Come, O Come, Emmanuel            #257     

 POST COMMUNION PROCLAMATION

 POST COMMUNION PRAYER

 BLESSING

HYMN    Hark! A Thrilling Voice Is Sounding      #246 1,3,4,5

DISMISSAL

POSTLUDE   On Jordan’s Banks the Baptist’s Cry         Cherwien

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