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 

Service outline for Sunday, November 26, 2023

                                                 St. Paul’s Lutheran Church

Alliance, Ohio

Sunday, November 26, 2023

9:30 AM

 

PRELUDE                                Majesty                                   J. Carter

Confession and Forgiveness

 Blessed be God, the one who forms us, ☩ Jesus who bears the cross,

the Spirit who makes our joy complete.

Amen.

Let us bow before God in humility, confessing our sin.

Silence is kept for reflection.

Steadfast and faithful God, you have revealed the ways of justice, yet we fail to follow you.

We are overwhelmed by the world’s violence and suffering. We are afraid to risk what we have for the sake of others. For the harm we have caused, known and unknown, forgive us. For the unjust demands we place on others and your creation, forgive us. For the ways we turn away from you and our neighbor, forgive us. Lead us back to you and set us on the right path; in the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior.

Amen.

Beloved in Christ, God’s justice stretches beyond all understanding. God’s compassion is beyond compare. In Jesus, God is always making a new way for us. In ☩ Christ, you are already and always forgiven.

Amen.

HYMN                All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name                        #634

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

 

PRAYER OF THE DAY, CHIldren’s Sermon

 First Reading: Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24

¹¹Thus says the Lord God: I myself will search for my sheep, and will seek them out. ¹²As shepherds seek out their flocks when they are among their scattered sheep, so I will seek out my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places to which they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. ¹³I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land; and I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the watercourses, and in all the inhabited parts of the land. ¹⁴I will feed them with good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel shall be their pasture; there they shall lie down in good grazing land, and they shall feed on rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. ¹⁵I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I will make them lie down, says the Lord God. ¹⁶I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, but the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them with justice. ²⁰Therefore, thus says the Lord God to them: I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. ²¹Because you pushed with flank and shoulder, and butted at all the weak animals with your horns until you scattered them far and wide, ²²I will save my flock, and they shall no longer be ravaged; and I will judge between sheep and sheep. ²³I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd. ²⁴And I, the Lord, will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them; I, the Lord, have spoken. The Word of the Lord.  Thanks be to God.

Psalm: Psalm 95:1-7a

¹Come, let us sing ^| to the Lord; let us shout for joy to the rock of ^| our salvation.
²Let us come before God’s presence ^| with thanksgiving and raise a loud shout

         to the ^| Lord with psalms.
³For you, Lord, ^| are a great God, and a great ruler a- ^| bove all gods.
⁴In your hand are the caverns ^| of the earth; the heights of the hills are ^| also

         yours. 
⁵The sea is yours, ^| for you made it, and your hands have molded ^| the dry land.
⁶Come, let us worship ^| and bow down, let us kneel before the ^| Lord our

           maker.
^7aFor the Lord^| is our God, and we are the people of God’s pasture and the

            sheep ^| of God’s hand. 

 Second Reading: Ephesians 1:15-23

¹⁵I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, and for this reason ¹⁶I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers. ¹⁷I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, ¹⁸so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, ¹⁹and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power. ²⁰God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, ²¹far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come. ²²And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, ²³which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all. Thanks be to God.

  

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

 Gospel Matthew 25:31-46                                                                     The Holy Gospel according to Saint Matthew the 25^th chapter.  Glory to you, O Lord.

[Jesus said to the disciples:] ³¹“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. ³²All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, ³³and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. ³⁴Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; ³⁵for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, ³⁶I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ ³⁷Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? ³⁸And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? ³⁹And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ ⁴⁰And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family you did it to me.’ ⁴¹Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; ⁴²for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, ⁴³I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ ⁴⁴Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?’ ⁴⁵Then he will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ ⁴⁶And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

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

 

 SERMON

HYMN              Jesus Shall Reign                        #434

 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                  The King of Love My Shepherd Is                        #502

PRAYER, BLESSING

HYMN                Crown Him with Many Crowns             #855 v. 1,3,5

 

DISMISSAL 

POSTLUDE               Lead On, Oh King Eternal                     A. Jordan

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