The Service in PDF format is at: December 13, 2020 Service
Video of service is at: Facebook Video
THIRD SUNDAY IN ADVENT
December 13, 2020
THEME: Welcome to our Advent worship series: “Stop, Look and Listen”. Holiday decorating. Holiday shopping. Holiday cooking. It is at about this time each year we become overwhelmed with the things that are right in front of us. Today we are reminded to not forget to listen—listen to what God is telling us. What is God telling us? Jesus is coming and He will do for us what no other person could do in offering us eternal life.
RINGING OF THE BELL
OPENING SONG: “Angels We Have Heard on High”
(Previously Recorded) CCLI Song # 7014589 James Chadwick & Kurtis Parks © Words: Public Domain, Music: 2013 Songs of 714 (Admin. by Moon & Musky Music)
Angels we have heard on high.
Sweetly singing o’re 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.
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
WE CONFESS OUR SIN…
L: Behold, the true light has come into the world. Let us enter into His presence, confessing our sins and receiving His forgiveness.
C: Lord God, our heavenly Father, hear us as we confess the darkness of our waywardness and sin, especially our reluctance or refusal to rejoice, pray, or give thanks amid the troubles we have brought upon ourselves. Make us truly repentant, that we may receive the holiness of faith in our Savior Jesus Christ, the forgiveness of our sins. Amen.
~~~~~Silence for reflection~~~~~
…HEARING GOD’S FORGIVENESS
L: The true light has come. To all who receive Him, He makes to be the children of God. Upon this, your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God to all of you. In the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C: Amen.
PRAYER FOCUS
L: Let us pray. Lord Jesus, we implore You to hear our prayers and to lighten the darkness of our hearts by Your gracious visitation; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C: Amen.
SERVICE OF THE WORD
THE SCRIPTURE LESSONS
The First Lesson: Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11
The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
because the Lord has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor;
he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor,
and the day of vengeance of our God;
to comfort all who mourn;
to grant to those who mourn in Zion—
to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit;
that they may be called oaks of righteousness,
the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.
They shall build up the ancient ruins;
they shall raise up the former devastations;
they shall repair the ruined cities,
the devastations of many generations.
For I the Lord love justice;
I hate robbery and wrong;
I will faithfully give them their recompense,
and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.
Their offspring shall be known among the nations,
and their descendants in the midst of the peoples;
all who see them shall acknowledge them,
that they are an offspring the Lord has blessed.
I will greatly rejoice in the Lord;
my soul shall exult in my God,
for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation;
he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress,
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
For as the earth brings forth its sprouts,
and as a garden causes what is sown in it to sprout up,
so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise
to sprout up before all the nations.
The Gospel Lesson: John 1:6-8, 19-28
There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.
And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” So they said to him, “Who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” He said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.”
(Now they had been sent from the Pharisees.) They asked him, “Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” John answered them, “I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know, even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.” These things took place in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
L: Let us pray for the whole people of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
L: For the Holy Church throughout the world and for all who confess the name of Christ, that God guard and defend us from all temptations of the devil, the world, and our sinful nature, let us pray to the Lord:
C: Lord, have mercy.
L: For the government and all who have been set into positions of leadership, that they use the authority entrusted to them honorably and for the good of all people, let us pray to the Lord:
C: Lord, have mercy.
L: For all who suffer from hunger, homelessness, poverty, or unemployment, that God’s great mercy and love preserve and relieve them, let us pray to the Lord:
C: Lord, have mercy.
L: For those who are sick, (especially…), that God grant healing to their bodies and strength to bear their infirmities with patience and grace, let us pray to the Lord:
C: Lord, have mercy.
L: For those who rejoice in the rich blessings of God, that they always remember the Giver of every gift and give Him heartfelt thanks, let us pray to the Lord:
C: Lord, have mercy.
L: Into Your hands, O Lord, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in Your mercy; through Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord.
C: Amen.
THE LORD’S PRAYER
CLOSING SONG: “Joy to the World”
(Previously Recorded) Text: Isaac Watts, 1674-1784, Tune: George F Handel, 1685-1759, adapt. © 1978 by LUtheran Church in America, The AMerican Lutheran Church, The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Canada, The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
Joy to the world, the Lord is come!
Let earth receive its King;
Let ev’ry heart prepare him room
And heav’n and nature sing,
And heav’n and nature sing,
And heav’n, and heav’n and nature sing.
Joy to the earth, the Savior reigns!
Let all their songs employ,
While fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat the sounding joy.
No more let sin and sorrow grow
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make his blessings flow
Far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found,
Far as, far as the curse is found.
He rules the world with truth and grace
And makes the nations prove
The glories of his righteousness
And wonders of his love,
And wonders of his love,
And wonders, wonders of his love.
DISMISSAL
P: Go in peace! Serve the Lord!
C: Thanks be to God!