The Fourth Sunday of Advent
Prelude
“Sing of Mary, Pure and Lowly”
Gathering
Brief Order for Confession and Forgiveness
Please stand as you are able. All may make the sign of the cross, the sign that is marked at baptism, as the presiding minister begins.
P: Blessed be the holy Trinity, ☩ one God, who comes to wake us from sleep, who leads us into the light of grace.
C: Amen.
P: Let us prepare the way of the Lord by confessing our sin against God and neighbor.
Please kneel or sit as you are able.
Silence is kept for reflection.
P: God of all time,
C: we confess that we have not prepared for your merciful reign among us. We ignore our neighbors in need and fail in the labor of justice and peace. In your mercy forgive us. Grant us wisdom to welcome your light and to seek the things that will endure until Christ comes again in glory. Amen.
P: Comfort, O comfort my people, says your God. In ☩ Jesus Christ your sins are forgiven and all things are made new. Rejoice in this good news!
C: Amen.
Please stand as you are able.
Entrance Hymn #28 (green hymnal)
“Savior of the Nations, Come” v. 1-3
1 Savior of the nations, come;
show the glory of the Son!
Ev’ry people, stand in awe;
praise the perfect Son of God.
2 Not of human seed or worth,
but from God’s own mystic breath,
fruit in Mary’s womb begun
when God breathed the Word, his Son.
3 Wondrous birth! Oh, wondrous child
of the virgin undefiled!
Mighty God and man in one,
eager now his race to run!
Greeting
P: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
C: And also with you.
Kyrie
♫ LBW Setting 1
(green hymnal, p. 57)
A: In peace, let us pray to the Lord.
C: Lord, have mercy.
A: For the peace from above, and for our salvation, let us pray to the Lord.
C: Lord, have mercy.
A: For the peace of the whole world, for the well-being of the Church of God, and for the unity of all, let us pray to the Lord.
C: Lord, have mercy.
A: For this holy house, and for all who offer here their worship and praise, let us pray to the Lord.
C: Lord, have mercy.
A: Help, save, comfort, and defend us, gracious Lord.
C: Amen.
Hymn of Praise
♫ LBW Setting 1
(green hymnal, p. 58)
A: Glory to God in the highest, and peace to his people on earth.
Lord God, heavenly king, almighty God and Father:
We worship you, we give you thanks, we praise you for your glory.
Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, Lord God, Lamb of God:
You take away the sin of the world; have mercy on us.
You are seated at the right hand of the Father; receive our prayer.
For you alone are the Holy One, you alone are the Lord,
you alone are the Most High,
Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father. Amen.
Prayer of the Day
♫ LBW Setting 1
(green hymnal, p. 62)
P: The Lord be with you.
C: And also with you.
P: Let us pray.
Stir up your power, Lord Christ, and come. With your abundant grace and might, free us from the sin that hinders our faith, that eagerly we may receive your promises, for you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C: Amen.
The Word
Blessing of the Lector
P: The Spirit and the church cry out, come, Lord Jesus. Everyone who awaits his appearance cries out, come, Lord Jesus. The whole creation cries, come, Lord Jesus. Let us pray.
Come to us, Lord Jesus, as Sherry reads for us your holy word. Keep us attentive to the truth of the scriptures; turn us away from myths; and turn us in faith to you, our strength and our redeemer.
C: Amen.
Please be seated.
First Lesson: Isaiah 7:10-16
10 The LORD spoke to Ahaz, saying, 11 Ask a sign of the LORD your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven. 12 But Ahaz said, I will not ask, and I will not put the LORD to the test. 13 Then Isaiah said: “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary mortals, that you weary my God also? 14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel. 15 He shall eat curds and honey by the time he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. 16 For before the child knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land before whose two kings you are in dread will be deserted.”
The word of the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
Special Music
Magnificat from Holden Evening Prayer (Luke 1:46b-55)
Marty Haugen
Addy Kruse, soloist
Second Lesson: Romans 1:1-7
1 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, 2 which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy scriptures, 3 the gospel concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh 4 and was declared to be Son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness by resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, 5 through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for the sake of his name, 6 including yourselves who are called to belong to Jesus Christ,
7 To all God’s beloved in Rome, who are called to be saints:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
The word of the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
Please stand as you are able.
Verse
♫ LBW Setting 1
(green hymnal, p. 62)
Alleluia. Lord, to whom shall we go?
You have the words of eternal life. Alleluia. Alleluia.
Gospel: Matthew 1:18-25
♫ LBW Setting 1
(green hymnal, p. 63)
P: The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the 1st chapter.
C: Glory to you, O Lord.
18 Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19 Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. 20 But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet:
23 “Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel,”
which means, “God is with us.” 24 When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, 25 but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus.
P: The Gospel of the Lord.
C: Praise to you, O Christ.
Lighting of the Advent Wreath
Please face the back of the sanctuary as the Advent wreath is lit.
“We Light the Advent Candles” is sung as the children come to the Advent wreath and the candles are lit.
1 We light the Advent candles
against the winter night,
to welcome our Lord Jesus
who is the world’s True Light,
to welcome our Lord Jesus
who is the world’s True Light.
2 The first one will remind us
that Christ will soon return.
We light it in the darkness
and watch it gleam and burn,
We light it in the darkness
and watch it gleam and burn.
3 We light the second candle,
and hear God’s holy Word,
it tells us, cling to Jesus,
prepare to meet your Lord,
it tells us, cling to Jesus,
prepare to meet your Lord!
4 Three candles now are gleaming
and show us the true way,
rejoice, the Baptist cries out,
your Lord has come today,
rejoice, the Baptist cries out,
your Lord has come today!
5 Four candles burning brightly
announce that Christ has come,
prepare, my heart, believe it,
and give the Christ child room,
prepare, my heart, believe it,
and give the Christ child room.
Litany for the Lighting of the Advent Wreath
P: Blessed are you, O Lord our God, ruler of the universe. In your Son, Emmanuel, you have shown us your light and saved us from the power of sin.
C: Bless us as we light the candles on this wreath.
P: Increase our longing for your presence, that at the celebration of your Son’s birth his Spirit might dwell anew in our midst, for he is our light and our salvation.
C: Blessed be God forever. Amen.
Please be seated.
Children’s Sermon
Sermon
Silence for reflection.
Hymn of the Day #34 (green hymnal)
“Oh, Come, Oh, Come, Emmanuel”
1 Oh, come, oh, come, Emmanuel,
and ransom captive Israel,
that mourns in lonely exile here
until the Son of God appear.
Refrain
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
shall come to you, O Israel.
2 Oh, come, oh, come, great Lord of might,
who to your tribes on Sinai’s height
in ancient times once gave the law
in cloud, and majesty, and awe. Refrain
3 Oh, come, strong Branch of Jesse, free
your own from Satan’s tyranny;
from depths of hell your people save
and give them vict’ry o’er the grave. Refrain
4 Oh, come, blest Dayspring, come and cheer
our spirits by your advent here;
disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
and death’s dark shadows put to flight. Refrain
5 Oh, come, O Key of David, come,
and open wide our heav’nly home;
make safe the way that leads on high,
and close the path to misery. Refrain
Please stand as you are able.
The Apostles’ Creed
A: Let us confess our common faith with all Christians throughout time and place, using the words of the Apostles’ Creed.
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit
and born of the virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended into hell.
On the third day he rose again.
He ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again 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
A: Let us pray for the whole people of God in Christ Jesus, and for all people according to their needs.
After each petition:
A: Lord, in your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
After the last petition:
A: Into your hands, O Lord, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in your mercy; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
C: Amen.
Peace
P: The peace of Christ be with you always.
C: And also with you.
The people may greet one another with a sign of Christ’s peace, and may say, “Peace be with you,” or similar words.
Invitation to Offering
A: Rejoice! Emmanuel has come to you! Let us give our offering to rejoice with all of creation that God is with us.
Offertory
“In the Bleak Midwinter”
Gustav Holst
Offertory Prayer
A: Let us pray.
C: 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. Amen.
The Meal
Dialogue
♫ LBW Setting 1
(green hymnal, p. 68)
P: The Lord be with you.
C: And also with you.
P: 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 him thanks and praise.
P: It is indeed right and salutary that we should at all times and in all places offer thanks and praise to you, O Lord, holy Father, almighty and everliving God. You comforted your people with the promise of the Redeemer, through whom you will also make all things new in the day when he comes again to judge the world in righteousness. And so, with the Church on earth and the hosts of heaven, we praise your name and join their unending hymn:
Sanctus
♫ LBW Setting 1
(green hymnal, p. 69)
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of pow’r and might:
Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna. Hosanna. Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.
Thanksgiving
P: Holy One, the beginning and the end, the giver of life: Blessed are you for the birth of creation. Blessed are you in the darkness and in the light. Blessed are you for your promise to your people. Blessed are you in the prophets’ hopes and dreams. Blessed are you for Mary’s openness to your will. Blessed are you for your Son Jesus, the Word made flesh.
In the night in which he was betrayed, our Lord Jesus took bread, and gave thanks; broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying: Take and eat; this is my body, given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me.
Again, after supper, he took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it for all to drink, saying: This cup is the new covenant in my blood, shed for you and for all people for the forgiveness of sin. Do this for the remembrance of me.
Let us proclaim the mystery of faith:
C: Christ has died. Christ has risen. Christ will come again.
P: With this bread and cup we remember your Word dwelling among us, full of grace and truth. We remember our new birth in his death and resurrection. We look with hope for his coming.
C: Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
P: Holy God, we long for your Spirit. Come among us. Bless this meal. May your Word take flesh in us. Awaken your people. Fill us with your light. Bring the gift of peace on earth.
C: Amen. Come, Holy Spirit.
P: All praise and glory are yours, Holy One of Israel, Word of God incarnate, Power of the Most High, one God, now and forever.
C: Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer
P: Gathered into one by the Holy Spirit, let us pray as Jesus taught us.
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: Be strong, do not fear! Here is your God, who has come to save you.
Please be seated.
Agnus Dei
♫ LBW Setting 1
(green hymnal, p. 72)
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world;
have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world;
have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world;
grant us peace.
Communion
P: The Body of Christ, broken for you.
The Blood of Christ, shed for you.
Those who wish to commune at the altar rail may either bring forward their individual Communion kit, or receive the wafer and wine/grape juice by intinction (dipping) from the Communion Ministers, when they are directed forward by the usher. Those who wish to commune in their seat with their individual Communion kit may remain seated.
Communion Hymn #632 (blue hymnal)
“The Angel Gabriel from Heaven Came”
1 The angel Gabriel from heaven came,
with wings as drifted snow, with eyes as flame:
“All hail to thee, O lowly maiden Mary,
most highly favored lady.” Gloria!
2 “For know a blessed mother thou shalt be,
all generations laud and honor thee;
thy son shall be Emmanuel, by seers foretold,
most highly favored lady.” Gloria!
3 Then gentle Mary meekly bowed her head;
“To me be as it pleaseth God,” she said.
“My soul shall laud and magnify God’s holy name.”
Most highly favored lady, Gloria!
4 Of her, Emmanuel, the Christ, was born
in Bethlehem all on a Christmas morn,
and Christian folk throughout the world will ever say:
“Most highly favored lady.” Gloria!
Communion Hymn #730 (blue hymnal)
“My Soul Proclaims Your Greatness”
1 My soul proclaims your greatness, Lord;
I sing my Savior’s praise!
You looked upon my lowliness,
and I am full of grace.
Now ev’ry land and ev’ry age
this blessing shall proclaim—
great wonders you have done for me,
and holy is your name.
2 To all who live in holy fear
your mercy ever flows.
With mighty arm you dash the proud,
their scheming hearts expose.
The ruthless you have cast aside,
the lowly throned instead;
the hungry filled with all good things,
the rich sent off unfed.
3 To Israel, your servant blest,
your help is ever sure;
the promise to our parents made
their children will secure.
Sing glory to the Holy One,
give honor to the Word,
and praise the Pow’r of the Most High,
one God, by all adored.
Table Blessing
P: The body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ strengthen you and keep you in his grace.
C: Amen.
Post-Communion Canticle
♫ LBW Setting 1
(green hymnal, p. 72)
Thank the Lord and sing his praise; tell ev’ryone what he has done.
Let all who seek the Lord rejoice and proudly bear his name.
He recalls his promises and leads his people forth in joy
with shouts of thanksgiving. Alleluia. Alleluia.
Post-Communion Prayer
A: Let us pray.
God with whom we wait, in this meal you give us a foretaste of that day when the hungry will be fed with good things. Send us forth to make known your deeds and to proclaim the greatness of your name, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
C: Amen.
Silence for reflection.
Sending
Announcements For God’s Mission in the World
Please stand as you are able.
Blessing
P: The God of steadfastness and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another, in accordance with Christ Jesus.
C: Amen.
P: The God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
C: Amen.
P: The God of all grace ☩ bless you now and forever.
C: Amen.
Closing Hymn #32 (green hymnal)
“Fling Wide the Door”
1 Fling wide the door, unbar the gate;
the King of glory comes in state;
the Lord of lords and King of kings,
the Savior of the world who brings
his great salvation to the earth.
So raise a shout of holy mirth
and praise our God and Lord,
Creator, Spirit, Word.
2 He is the rock of our belief,
the heart of mercy’s gentle self.
His kingly crown is holiness;
his scepter is his loveliness;
he brings our sorrows to an end.
Now gladly praise our king and friend,
and worship him with song
for saving us from wrong.
3 Oh, happy towns and blessed lands
that live by their true king’s commands.
And blessed be the hearts he rules,
the humble places where he dwells.
He is the rightful Son of bliss
who fills our lives and makes us his,
creator of the world,
our only strength for good.
4 Come, Lord, our Savior, Jesus Christ;
our hearts are open wide in trust.
Oh, show us now your lovely grace,
upon our sorrows shine your face,
and let your Holy Spirit guide
our journey in your grace so wide.
We praise your holy name,
from age to age the same!
Dismissal
A: Go in peace. Serve the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
Postlude
Worship Leaders
The Rev. Emily Beckering, Pastor
Kris Keith, Music Director
Kate Wollenburg, Organist
Terry McDowell, Assisting Minister
Sherry Bronner, Reader
Special Music:
Addy Kruse, vocalist
Carolyn Koehl, French horn
Matthew Lawson, trombone
Upcoming Events
Sunday, December 18: 4 Advent
9 am Sunday School / Adult Forum
10:30 am Worship (in-person / livestreamed)
11:45 am-7 pm Fellowship hall reserved
1 pm Church Mice play rehearsal
Monday, December 19
**Epistle articles deadline**
Tuesday, December 20
5:30 pm Confirmation
6:30 pm Church Mice play rehearsal
Thursday, December 22
6 pm Scouts BSA
Saturday, December 24
6 pm The Church Mice Present: “Why the Chimes Rang” (Christmas play)
6:45 pm Special Music
7 pm Christmas Eve Candlelight Service
Sunday, December 25: Christmas Day
**No in-person worship, Sunday School, or Adult Forum. There will be an online pre-recorded worship service.**
Tuesday, December 27
6:30 pm Venture Scouts
Copyright Notices
Savior of the Nations, Come: Tr. sts. 3b-6 and arr. © Concordia Publishing House.
Magnificat: Text and music by Marty Haugen © 1990, 2016 GIA Publications Inc. All rights reserved.
We Light the Advent Candles: Text by Gracia Grindal © 1999 Hope Publishing Company.
The Angel Gabriel from Heaven Came: Arr. © 1955, 1983 E.H. Freeman, Ltd., admin. Glenwood Music Corp.
My Soul Proclaims Your Greatness: Text © 1995 Augsburg Fortress.
Fling Wide the Door: Text © 1978 Lutheran Book of Worship, admin. Augsburg Fortress. Setting © 1952 Orgelchoralbuch.
Hymns/anthems: Music reprinted and streamed by permission under ONE LICENSE #A‐726103 and CCLI Licenses #21045423 and #21045416. All rights reserved.
Liturgical texts and service music: From SundaysandSeasons.com. Copyright © 2022 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission under Augsburg Fortress Liturgies Annual License #SAS010308.