Worship Service
Sunday, December 26, 2021 at 10 a.m.
In the name of the Father and of the † Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
OPENING SONG “O Come All Ye Faithful”
Verse 1
O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant!
O come ye, O come ye, to Bethlehem
Come and behold Him, born the King of angels
Chorus
O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him
O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord!
Verse 2
The Highest, most holy, Light of light eternal,
Born of a virgin, a mortal he comes;
Son of the Father, now in flesh appearing! (Chorus)
Verse 3
Sing, choirs of angels, sing in exultation
Sing, all ye citizens of heaven above!
Glory to God, all glory in the highest (Chorus)
Verse 4
Yea, Lord, we greet thee, born this happy morning,
Jesus to thee be all glory given!
Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing! (Chorus)
CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS
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.
Amen.
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)
Most merciful God,
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.
In the mercy of almighty God, Jesus Christ was given to die for us, and for his sake God forgives us all our sins. As a called and ordained minister of the Church of Christ, and by his authority, I therefore declare to you the entire forgiveness of all your sins, in the name of the Father, and of the ☩ Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
GREETING
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
And also with you!
KYRIE
HYMN OF PRAISE
PRAYER OF THE DAY
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Let us pray. Almighty God, you have made yourself known in your Son, Jesus, redeemer of the world. We pray that his birth as a human child will set us free from the old slavery of our sin; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen.
CHILDREN’S CHURCH DISMISSAL
FIRST LESSON Colossians 3:12-17
12As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. 13Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. 16Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. 17And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
The word of the Lord
Thanks be to God.
VERSE
GOSPEL LESSON Luke 2:41-52
The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke, the second chapter.
Glory to you, O Lord.
41Now every year [Jesus’] parents went to Jerusalem for the festival of the Passover. 42And when he was twelve years old, they went up as usual for the festival. 43When the festival was ended and they started to return, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. 44Assuming that he was in the group of travelers, they went a day’s journey. Then they started to look for him among their relatives and friends. 45When they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem to search for him. 46After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48When his parents saw him they were astonished; and his mother said to him, “Child, why have you treated us like this? Look, your father and I have been searching for you in great anxiety.” 49He said to them, “Why were you searching for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” 50But they did not understand what he said to them. 51Then he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them. His mother treasured all these things in her heart. 52And Jesus increased in wisdom and in years, and in divine and human favor.
The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, O Christ.
THE MESSAGE Pastor Baker
HYMN OF THE DAY “Lo, How a Rose Is Growing”
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 –
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
PEACE
Pastor: The peace of the Lord be with you always.
People: And also with you.
THE OFFERTORY PRAYER
Let us pray. Merciful God,
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
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
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, through Christ our Lord. In the wonder and mystery of the Word made flesh you have opened the eyes of faith to a new and radiant vision of your glory; that, beholding the God made visible, we may be drawn to love the God whom we cannot see. And so, with the Church on earth and the hosts of heaven, we praise your name and join their unending hymn:
THANKSGIVING
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.
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
WORDS OF INSTITUTION
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
Lord, remember us in your kingdom and teach us to pray.
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
Verse 1
O holy night, the stars are brightly shining
It is the night of the dear Savior’s birth
Long lay the world, in sin and error pining
Till he appears and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Chorus
Fall on your knees, O hear the angel voices
O night divine, O night when Christ was born.
O night, O holy night, O night divine.
Verse 2
Truly He taught us to love one another,
His law is love and His gospel is peace,
Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother,
And in His name, all oppression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy, in grateful chorus raise we
Let all within us praise his holy name.
Chorus
Christ is the Lord, O praise His name forever,
His pow’r and glory evermore proclaim
His pow’r and glory, evermore proclaim.
POST-COMMUNION BLESSING
The body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ strengthen you and keep you in his grace.
Amen.
POST-COMMUNION PRAYER
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.
Amen.
BLESSING
Almighty God, Father, ☩ Son, and Holy Spirit, bless you now and forever.
Amen.
CLOSING SONG “Angels We Have Heard on High”
Verse 1
Angels we have heard on high
Sweetly singing o’er the plains
And the mountains in reply
Echoing their joyous strain
Verse 2
Shepherds why this jubilee?
Why your joyous strains prolong?
What the gladsome tidings be
Which inspire your heavenly song?
Chorus 1
Gloria in excelsis Deo,
Gloria in excelsis Deo,
Verse 3
Come to Bethlehem and see
Him whose birth the angels sing
Come, adore on bended knee
Christ the Lord the newborn King
Chorus 2
Gloria in excelsis Deo
Gloria in excelsis Deo
Verse 4
See Him in the manger laid
Jesus Lord of heaven and earth
Mary, Joseph lend your aid
With us sing our Savior’s birth (Chorus)
SENDING
Alleluia. Go in peace. Serve the Lord!
Thanks be to God.
Receiving the Offering
All Saints can now accept online donations through a credit card. Visit our Online Donation Page to make a one-time donation or set up a weekly offering.
Checks may be mailed to All Saints Lutheran Church, 4325 SW Green Oaks, Arlington TX 76017. You may also be able to use online bill payment through your bank and set up recurring payments.
Prayer Requests
John Barnes’ sister-in-law Karen, who has bone cancer. Wayne Maddox, James. Natalie in her recovery
Morris and Rita in their recovery. Paul, Mark, Hal in their recovery. Matthew for healing after surgery. David’s mom Elsie.
Sam and Justin in ICU with Covid. Kaitlyn who has Covid.
Laureen, friend of Patty, with cancer.
Ernest, Carol, The Long Family, Lydia & Angie, Charles.
Friend who needs improved kidney function. Jeremy, son of Sherry, recovering from a heart attack. Glen who fell and injured his back.
Peace for Jeff and Darre.
If you have a prayer request, please contact the church office, office@allsaintsarlington.org, 817-483-1631.
View the Weekly Announcements on our Weekly Connection Page.