The Bulletin is at: 12-15-2019 – Bulletin
The Service in PDF format is at: 12-15-2019 – Service
or the service is as follows:
THIRD SUNDAY IN ADVENT
December 15, 2019
THEME: Welcome to our Advent worship series, Arise and Shine. Each week in this series focuses on a different aspect of the light of Christ and how we are enlightened by him throughout our lives. In our worship for the third week in Advent, we anticipate with repentant joy the birth of our Savior, listen to his Word and seek to live according to it until he comes again.
RINGING OF THE BELL
INVOCATION AND CALL TO WORSHIP
L: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
C: Amen.
LIGHTING OF THE ADVENT WREATH
L: On the four Sundays in Advent, we light a new candle each week. We mark the four candles with these four words: hope, peace, joy, and love. Jesus Christ is the hope of all nations.
C: We wait for the Lord, and in His Word do we hope.
L: Jesus Christ is the Prince of Peace,
C: We wait for the Lord, and in His Word do we rest.
L: Jesus Christ is the source of all joy.
C: We wait for the Lord, and in His Word do we rejoice.
~~The first, second and third candles are lit during the Advent Song.~~
ADVENT SONG: “My Soul in Stillness Waits”
C: For you, O Lord, my soul in stillness waits, truly my joy is in you.
L: O Root of Life, implant your seed within us; and in your advent, draw
us all to you, our hope reborn in dying and in rising
C: For you, O Lord, my soul in stillness waits; truly my joy is in you.
L: Holy Lord, merciful God, You sent John the Baptist to be a burning and shining light.
C: Forgive us, Father,
L: for too often, we fail to reflect Your burning light.
C: Our hearts become hard and our words harsh.
L: Forgive us, Father,
C: for too often we fail to embrace Your shining light.
L: Then our thoughts become selfish and our judgments sinful.
C: Forgive us, Father,
L: for too often, we fail to shine with Your marvelous light.
C: Our minds become darkened and our motives deceitful. Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
~~~~~Silence for reflection~~~~~
…HEARING GOD’S FORGIVENESS
L: Though God sees all of our sin, He also sees Jesus, who was born for us, suffered for us, died for us and lives for us. In Christ’s name we are forgiven and cleansed in His blood. Arise, shine, for Your light has come!
C: Amen.
CHOIR ANTHEM: “An Advent Alleluia” By: Dana Mengel
Alleluia! The angels will sing. Alleluia! The heavens will ring.
When the Lord will descend from the heavens above,
And establish the kingdom of God by His love.
Alleluia! We soon will be free, Alleluia!, from captivity.
When the Lord will descend from the heavens above,
And establish the Kingdom of God by His love.
Rejoice the Lord is coming soon! Alle, alle, allelu!
Soon the darkness will turn to light,
And ev’rywhere the people will shout a joyful Alleluia!
Alleluia! Our crying will cease. Alleluia! We’ll soon live in peace.
When the Lord will descend from the heavens above,
And establish the Kingdom of God by His love.
Alleluia! We soon will be saved, Alleluia!, from man’s evil ways.
When the Lord will descend from the heavens above,
And establish the Kingdom of God by His love.
Rejoice the Lord is coming soon. Alle, alle, allelu.
Soon the darkness will turn to light,
And ev’rywhere the people will shout a joyful Alleluia!
And ev’rywhere the people will shout a joyful Alleluia!
And ev’rywhere the people will shout a joyful Alleluia! Alleluia!
SERVICE OF THE WORD
THE SCRIPTURE LESSONS
The First Lesson: Malachi 4:1-6
“For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble. The day that is coming shall set them ablaze, says the LORD of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall. And you shall tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet, on the day when I act, says the LORD of hosts. “Remember the law of my servant Moses, the statutes and rules that I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel. “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes. And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.”
The Gospel Lesson: John 5:30-36
“I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me. If I alone bear witness about myself, my testimony is not deemed true.
There is another who bears witness about me, and I know that the testimony that he bears about me is true. You sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth.
Not that the testimony that I receive is from man, but I say these things so that you may be saved. He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light. But the testimony that I have is greater than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to accomplish, the very works that I am doing, bear witness about me that the Father has sent me.
SERMON SONG: “On Jordan’s Banks the Baptist’s Cry” LBW 36
(vs. 1,2 & 5)
On Jordan’s banks the Baptist’s cry
Announces that the Lord is nigh;
Awake and harken, for he brings Glad
tidings of the King of kings!
Then cleansed be ev’ry life from sin;
Make straight the way for God within,
And let us all our hearts prepare
For Christ to come and enter there.
All praise to you, eternal Son,
Whose advent has our freedom won,
Whom with the Father we adore,
And Holy Spirit, evermore.
L: Jesus, Sun of Righteousness, by Your poverty we have become rich. By Your act of grace, we are filled.
C: You laid aside Your glory and emptied Yourself upon the cross.
L: Jesus, Sun of Righteousness, help us to be a blessing to people who suffer in sadness, guilt or need.
C: Empower us to be generous toward them in our thoughts, words and actions.
L: Jesus, Sun of Righteousness, You have filled our lives with Your love and forgiveness. As Your love overflows into our lives, help us to overflow with great mercy.
C: Teach us to testify to Your love by our forgiveness, love and giving.
L: Jesus, Sun of Righteousness, we pray for those who live in fear or need. Bless them through our works of mercy.
C: Help us in our words and actions to share Your love with them with generosity and great joy.
L: Jesus, Sun of Righteousness,
C: help us give freely to others what You have freely given to us.
L: The day is most certainly coming when You come, Jesus, as the Sun of Righteousness with healing in Your wings.
C: Then we will go out and leap like calves released from the stall. Then we will live to Your glory and honor forevermore. Amen.
WE OFFER OUR GIFTS
WORDS OF INSTITUTION
THE LORD’S PRAYER
DISTRIBUTION
“What a Friend” TOSB 246
What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer!
Have we trials and temptations, is there trouble any where?
We should never be discouraged, take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful who with all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness, take it to the Lord in prayer.
Are we weak and heavy laden, cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Saviour, still our refuge, take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee? Take it to the Lord in prayer;
In his arms he’ll take and shield thee, thou wilt find a solace there.
“I’ve Got Peace Like a River” TOSB 108
I’ve got peace like a river, I’ve got peace like a
River, I’ve got peace like a river in my soul.
I’ve got peace like a river, I’ve got peace like a
River, I’ve got peace like a river in my soul.
I’ve got love like an ocean, I’ve got love like an
Ocean, I’ve got love like an ocean in my soul.
I’ve got love like an ocean, I’ve got love like an
Ocean, I’ve got love like an ocean in my soul.
I’ve got joy like a fountain, I’ve got joy like a
Fountain, I’ve got joy like a fountain in my soul.
I’ve got joy like a fountain, I’ve got joy like a
Fountain, I’ve got joy like a fountain in my soul.
L: Arise, shine, for your light has come!
C: And the glory of the Lord has risen upon you!
L: The Lord is my light and my salvation—
C: Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
CLOSING SONG: “Angels We Have Heard on High” LBW 71
Angels we have heard on high, Sweetly singing o’er the plains,
And the mountains in reply, Echoing their joyous strains.
Gloria in excelsis Deo; Gloria in excelsis Deo;
Shepherds, why this jubilee? Why your joyous strains prolong?
What the gladsome tidings be Which inspire your heav’nly song?
Gloria in excelsis Deo; Gloria in excelsis Deo;
Come to Bethlehem and see Him whose birth the angels sing;
Come, adore on bended knee Christ the Lord, the newborn king.
Gloria in excelsis Deo; Gloria in excelsis Deo;
P: Go in peace! Serve the Lord!
C: Thanks be to God!