The Service in PDF format is at: December 17, 2023 Service
Video of service is at: YouTube
Peace Lutheran Church
We welcome you in the name of the Lord Jesus. We are honored with your presence. If you do not have a church home, you are invited to join us regularly. Please introduce yourself to Pastor Jeremy Lucke or one of the Ushers as you leave today and sign the guest book in the entryway. We continue to observe the guidelines for health safety. If you have any questions, please see an usher. Everyone is welcome.
The ringing of the bell and the lighting of the Christ candle mark the beginning of our service and a time for quiet meditation, prayer and inward reflection as we begin our worship.
Children are welcome at our worship services. If you prefer, Peace Lutheran has a playroom equipped for children three years old and younger. The room is unstaffed and can be accessed in the fellowship hall where the service is also being live streamed for your convenience and enjoyment.
Holy Communion is celebrated every first and third Sunday and will follow the order of service in the bulletin. If you are a baptized Christian and share our faith in Jesus as Savior and have been instructed in the meaning and use of the Lord’s Supper, you are invited to partake. We have pre-wrapped communion wine or juice and wafers. We also have gluten-free wafers available. If you desire a gluten-free wafer, ask the server. May the body and blood of Jesus, present in the bread and wine, be a blessing to you.
There are times during the service when you will be asked to stand if you are able. Please feel free to remain seated if standing is difficult.
Offering. Peace Lutheran Church understands and teaches that Offerings are voluntary and to be from the heart. Whether we give or do not give does not determine our salvation. Whether we give much or little does not determine our standing before God. Sharing an Offering is an opportunity to quietly practice generosity with our neighbors.
Serving You
Pastor Pastor Jeremy Lucke
Music Director Colleen Schulze
Choir Director Diane Crocker
Supt. Of Sunday School Brandy Stokes & Karyn Stanley
Admin Assistant Daniel Dusek
Parish Nurse Kathy Durling
Webmaster Jim Holroyd
Audio-Visual Johnathon Holroyd, George Abele, Nicholas Abele, Merv Munster, Callie Santora, Caleb Santora, Joyce Long, Oscar Gutbrod, Sam Worth, Rick Durling, Jim Holroyd, Nora Stanley, Debbi Weiler, Daniel Dusek, Rick Durling
Praise Team Rick Durling, Patrick Kamins, Karyn Stanley, Nora Stanley, Diane Crocker, Kaia Lucke, Sarah Grassel, Caleb Santora
Today, December 17, 2023
Musician Colleen Schulze
Reader Rob Schulze
Flowers Kathy Hanna (In memory of Randy)
THEME OF THE DAY…………… Advent is the season of waiting! As we wait, we have a special job to do. We joyfully get ready for Jesus’ arrival by remembering the ministry of John the Baptist, who came as a witness to Christ, the light of the world. John himself was not the light, nor was he the centerpiece of God’s plan to save the world; no, John’s life as dedicated to preparing the way before the Lord and to get people ready for Jesus coming to the rescue of His people. In many ways, we are invited to be like John. Our goal is not only to trust in Jesus for ourselves but also to let the world know that He is coming to save them too. And Jesus’ arrival will be well worth the wait!
INVOCATION AND CALL TO WORSHIP
Leader: Let us worship God as children—
People: With wonder and awe.
Leader: Let us worship God as youth—
People: With questions and eager hearts.
Leader: Let us worship God as adults—
People: With gratitude and praise.
Leader: Let us worship God as elders—
People: With wisdom and hope.
Leader: Let the body of Christ sing praises to God—
People: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Leader: From whom all blessings flow!
Leader: Today, we light the candle of Joy. Because of Christ, we can have joy in every situation.
Because Your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise You. So I will bless You as long as I live; in Your name I will lift up my hands. My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise You with joyful lips, when I remember You upon my bed, and meditate on You in the watches of the night; for You have been my help, and in the shadow of Your wings I will sing for joy. My soul clings to You; Your right hand upholds me. Psalm 63:3-8
ADVENT SONG “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel”
Text: Psalteriolum Cantionum Catholicarum, Koln, 1710; tr. John M. Neale, 1818-1866, alt. Tune: French processional, 15th cent.
O come, O come, Thou Lord of might,
Who to Thy tribes on Sinai’s height
In ancient times didst give the Law
In cloud and majesty and awe.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to Thee, O Israel!
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O come, Thou Branch of Jesse’s tree,
Free them from Satan’s tyranny
That trust Thy mighty pow’r to save,
And give them vict’ry o’er the grave.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to Thee, O Israel!
+The First, Second & Third Candles are Lit+
Leader: That we may rejoice in the great things our forgiving God does for us, let us together confess our sins before Him.
People: Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we do and by what we fail to do. Instead of looking to Jesus and following Him in faith, we have gone astray by disobeying Your Word. Instead of giving bold witness to You, we have kept silent and withheld Your grace from others. For the sake of our Savior and King, have mercy on us. Forgive us and restore us. Guide us and renew us. Amen.
~~~~ Silence for a time of personal reflection ~~~~
Leader: Our faithful God hears our prayers and answers them, removing our sins from us and declaring us blameless in His sight through faith in Jesus Christ. We are reminded of God’s complete forgiveness as we partake Jesus’ body and blood. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.
People: Amen.
PRAYER FOCUS
Leader: Let us pray. Lord Jesus Christ, we implore You to hear our prayers.
People: Enable our hearts to believe and our mouths to confess Your saving name;
Leader: for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
People: Amen.
SERVICE OF THE WORD
SCRIPTURE LESSONS
THE FIRST LESSON Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11
61 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;
2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn;
3 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.
4 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.
8 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.
9 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.
10 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.
11 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.
Reader: This is the Word of the Lord.
People: Thanks be to God!
THE GOSPEL LESSON John 1:6-8, 19-28
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.
19 And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” 20 He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” 21 And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.”
22 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?” 23 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.” 24 (Now they had been sent from the Pharisees.)
25 They asked him, “Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” 26 John answered them, “I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know, 27 even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.”
28 These things took place in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
Reader: This is the Gospel of the Lord.
People: Praise to You, O Christ!
SERMON SONG “Let All Together Praise Our God”
Author: Nikolaus Herman, c. 1480-1561 (abr.); Translator: August Crull, 1845-1923 (alt. )
Let all together praise our God
Before his glorious throne;
Today he opens heav’n again
To give us his own Son,
To give us his own Son.
.
The Father sends him from his throne,
To be an infant small,
And lie here poorly mangered now
In this cold, dismal stall,
In this cold, dismal stall.
.
Within an earthborn form he hides
His all creating light;
To serve us all he humbly cloaks
The splendor of his might,
The splendor of his might.
.
He undertakes a great exchange,
Puts on our human frame,
And in return gives us his realm,
His glory, and his name,
His glory, and his name.
SERMON
Pastor Jeremy Lucke
People: We believe in God, the Father Almighty,
Creator of heaven and earth.
We 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 to the dead.
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.
We believe in the Holy Spirit,
The Christian Church
The communion of saints,
The forgiveness of sins,
The resurrection of the body,
And the life everlasting. Amen
OFFERING
We give our offerings as signs of our lives offered to God in humble thanks and service.
Leader: Because it is our Father’s will for His children to pray, let us “rejoice always, pray without ceasing,” giving thanks in all circumstances.
Leader: Gracious Father, when the time has fully come, You sent Your Son into our world to bear our sin and be our Savior. By His suffering and death, by His resurrection ascension, by His reign at Your right hand and promise to come again, we are given joyful hearts and confidently bring our prayers before Your throne of grace. Your kingdom is the eternal kingdom, O God, and we are blessed to witness to all peoples the saving work You have accomplished in Christ, our Lord and King. Lord, in Your mercy,
People: Hear our prayer.
Leader: Mighty God, stretch forth Your hand and defend Your people from all effects of sin and death, giving victory over the enemy of darkness by shining into our world the light of Your truth. Work in our midst as the mighty fortress of our lives, providing protection to those who labor for the benefit of others and to those who wear the uniform of our land. Lord, in Your mercy,
People: Hear our prayer.
Leader: Great Physician of body and soul, take great care of all those who are suffering in physical pain, mental illness, emotional stress, and broken relationships. Comfort Your people who are sad and lonely. Warm all troubled hearts with the assurance of Your never-failing presence. Grant wholeness and healing to those in need, (especially…..). We give You thanks, Lord God, in all circumstances, including our struggles, for we know that You are working all things together for the good of those who love You. Lord, in Your mercy,
People: Hear our prayer.
Leader: Into Your hands, O Lord, we commend ourselves and all for whom we pray, waiting in joyful expectation for Your coming kingdom; through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
People: Amen.
Leader: Welcome to the celebration! God who supplies our every need has given us this meal to share.
People: Lord, we thank You for the bread of eternal life.
Leader: We come to the table, acknowledging our shortcomings and our need to experience Your presence in bread and wine.
People: Lord, we thank You for the bread of eternal life.
WORDS OF INSTITUTION
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 HYMNS
Joseph Scriven; Charles C. Converse
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 anywhere?
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.
“Sent Forth by God’s Blessing”
Text: Omer Westendorf, Tune: Wlsh Folk tune, © Public Domain
Sent forth by God’s Blessing,
Our true faith confessing,
The people of God from
his dwelling take leave.
The supper is ended,
Oh, now be extended
The fruits of this service
in all who believe.
.
The seed of his teaching,
Receptive souls reaching,
Shall blossom in action for
God and for all.
His grace did invite us,
His love shall unite us
To work for God’s kingdom
and answer his call.
.
With praise and thanksgiving
To God ever living,
The tasks of our ev’ry day life
we will face.
Our faith ever sharing,
In love ever caring,
Embracing his children of
each tribe and race.
.
With your feast you feed us,
With your light now lead us;
Unite us as one in this life
that we share.
Then may all the living
With praise and thanksgiving
Give honor to Christ
and his name that we bear.
Leader: May our God—Father, Son and Holy Spirit—pour out his grace upon your family, giving you triumph over temptation, joy in your journey, and deliverance over every form of darkness.
People: Amen.
CLOSING SONG “Angels We Have Heard on High”
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’er the plains,
And the mountains in reply,
Echoing their joyous strains.
Chorus: 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 heavenly song?
Chorus
Come to Bethlehem and see
Christ whose birth the angels sing
Come adore on bended knee
Christ the Lord the newborn King
Chorus
See Him in a manger laid
Whom the choirs of angels praise
Mary Joseph lend your aid
While our hearts in love we raise
Chorus
Leader: Go in peace! Serve the Lord!
People: Thanks be to God!
Announcements
December 20 – 6:00pm Midweek Advent Service
December 24 – 10:00am Worship Service (no fellowship)
December 24 – 7:00pm Christmas Eve Candlelight Service with Communion
December 31 – 10:00am Worship Service with Communion