Worship 12/11/22

Worship Service
Sunday, December 11, 2022, at 10 a.m.

WELCOME and ANNOUNCEMENTS

INVOCATION

Lay Minister:   In the name of the Father and of the † Son and of the Holy Spirit.

People:  Amen.

 CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS

Lay Minister:   Almighty God, to whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you and worthily magnify your holy name, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

People:   Amen.

Lay Minister:  If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.  But if we confess our sins, God who is faithful and just will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

 (Silence for reflection and self-examination)

Lay Minister:     Most merciful God,

People:   We confess that we are in bondage to sin and cannot free ourselves. We have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. For the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in your will and walk in your ways, to the glory of your holy name. Amen.

 Lay Minister:  In the mercy of almighty God, Jesus Christ was given to die for you, and for his sake God forgives you all your sins.  To those who believe in Jesus Christ he gives the power to become the children of God and bestows on them the Holy Spirit.

People:   Amen.

GREETING

Lay Minister:   The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

People:    And also with you.

 

OPENING HYMN    Prepare the Royal Highway   vs 1,2,4      

 

KYRIE 

HYMN OF PRAISE 

 

Prayer of the Day

Lay Reader:   The Lord be with you.

People:        And also with you.

Lay Reader:    Let us pray. . . Stir up the wills of all who look to you, Lord God, and strengthen our faith in your coming, that, transformed by grace, we may walk in your way; through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

People:   Amen.

 

LIGHTING OF THE ADVENT CANDLE

 

CHILDREN’S CHURCH DISMISSAL

 

FIRST LESSON    Isaiah 35:1-10 

¹ The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad, the desert shall rejoice and blossom; like the crocus ²it shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the Lord, the majesty of our God.

³ Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. ⁴ Say to those who are of a fearful heart, ‘Be strong, do not fear! Here is your God. He will come with vengeance, with terrible recompense. He will come and save you.’

⁵ Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; ⁶ then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy. For waters shall break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; ⁷ the burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water; the haunt of jackals shall become swamp, the grass shall become reeds and rushes.

⁸ A highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Holy Way; the unclean shall not travel on it, but it shall be for God’s people; no traveler, not even fools, shall go astray. ⁹ No lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it; they shall not be found there, but the redeemed shall walk there. ¹⁰ And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

Lay Reader:   The word of the Lord.

People:      Thanks be to God.

 

VERSE 

GOSPEL LESSON      Luke 1:46b-55

Lay Minister:      The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke, the first chapter.

People:        Glory to you, O Lord.

⁴⁶ And Mary said, ‘My soul magnifies the Lord,⁴⁷   and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, ⁴⁸ for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant.   Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; ⁴⁹ for the Mighty One has done great things for me,   and holy is his name. ⁵⁰ His mercy is for those who fear him   from generation to generation. ⁵¹ He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. ⁵² He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; ⁵³ he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. ⁵⁴ He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, ⁵⁵ according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever.’

Lay Minister:       The Gospel of the Lord

People:  Praise to you, O Christ.

 

THE MESSAGE              Art Mory

 

HYMN OF THE DAY      Oh, Come, Oh, Come, Emmanuel    vs 1,2,3

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.

 

THE PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE

Each prayer petition will end with –
Pastor: Lord in your mercy

People: Hear our prayer.

 

PEACE

Pastor:   The peace of the Lord be with you always.

People:         And also with you.

 

CHANCEL CHOIR    Emmanuel, God with Us 

 

OFFERTORY PRAYER
Lay Reader: Let us pray. Merciful Father,
People: We offer with joy and thanksgiving what you have first given us—ourselves, our time, and our possessions, signs of your gracious love. Receive them for the sake of him who offered himself for us, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.  

 

DIALOGUE
Lay Minister:   The Lord be with you.
People:    And also with you.

Lay Minister:   Lift up your hearts.
People:    We lift them to the Lord.

Lay Minister: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
People: It is right to give him thanks and praise.

 

PREFACE

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. But chiefly we are bound to praise you for the glorious resurrection of our Lord; for he is the true Passover Lamb who gave himself to take away our sin, who by his death has destroyed death, and by his rising has brought us to eternal life. And so, with Mary Magdalene and Peter and all the witnesses of the resurrection, with earth and sea and all their creatures, and with angels and archangels, cherubim and seraphim, we praise your name and join their unending hymn:

THANKSGIVING
Lay Minister:   Blessed are you, Lord of heaven and earth. In mercy for our fallen world you gave your only Son, that all those who believe in him should not perish, but have eternal life. We give thanks to you for the salvation you have prepared for us through Jesus Christ. Send now your Holy Spirit into our hearts, that we may receive our Lord with a living faith as he comes to us in his holy supper.
People:   Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

 

WORDS OF INSTITUTION
Lay Minister:   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.

 

THE LORD’S PRAYER
Lay Minister:   Lord, remember us in your kingdom, and teach us to pray:
People:  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.

 

COMMUNION DISTRIBUTION:  

At All Saints, we practice open communion. If you believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, and have been baptized, you are invited to commune. Those not receiving the bread and wine are invited to come forward for a blessing. Grape juice is also available.  

 

POST-COMMUNION BLESSING
Lay Minister: The body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ strengthen you and keep you in his grace.
People: Amen.

 

 

POST-COMMUNION PRAYER

Lay Reader:   We give you thanks, almighty God, that you have refreshed us through the healing power of this gift of life; and we pray that in your mercy you would strengthen us, through this gift, in faith toward you and in fervent love toward one another; for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord.
People:   Amen.

 

BLESSING
Lay Minister:  Almighty God, Father, ☩ Son, and Holy Spirit, bless you now and forever.
People: Amen.

 

CLOSING HYMN    The King Shall Come 

 SENDING

Lay Minister: Go in peace. Serve the Lord!
People: Thanks be to God.

 

Prayer Requests