Announcements
Confession and Forgiveness
Blessed be the holy Trinity, ☩ one God,
whose home is heaven and earth,
whose salvation is sure.
Amen.
Let us confess our sin in the presence of God
and of one another.
Silence is kept for reflection.
Long-expected God,
we confess that we look to ourselves
for the peace and security only you can provide.
We reach for swords and spears,
reluctant to release our grip on the ways of war.
We become impatient while waiting
and weary of keeping awake.
Free us from self-reliance,
and teach us to live in harmony with our neighbors.
Increase our trust in God’s timing,
and awaken us to your advent among us,
that we may abound in the hope you have promised.
Amen.
God judges us not as we deserve,
but according to God’s own righteousness.
☩ You are freed and forgiven,
saved by grace,
and ready to welcome the Savior.
Amen.
Opening Hymn
CCLI - 10,000 Reasons (vs 1 & 2)
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.
Prayer of the Day
Stir up our hearts, Lord God, to prepare the way of your only Son. By his coming nurture our growth as people of repentance and peace; through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen.
Lightining of the Advent Wreath
ELW 240 - Light One Candle to Watch for Messiah (vs. 2)
First Reading: Isaiah 11:1-10
1 A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse,
and a branch shall grow out of his roots.
2 The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him,
the spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the spirit of counsel and might,
the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
3 His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord.
He shall not judge by what his eyes see
or decide by what his ears hear,
4 but with righteousness he shall judge for the poor
and decide with equity for the oppressed of the earth;
he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth,
and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.
5 Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist
and faithfulness the belt around his loins.
6 The wolf shall live with the lamb;
the leopard shall lie down with the kid;
the calf and the lion will feed together,
and a little child shall lead them.
7 The cow and the bear shall graze;
their young shall lie down together;
and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
8 The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp,
and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder’s den.
9 They will not hurt or destroy
on all my holy mountain,
for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord
as the waters cover the sea.
10 On that day the root of Jesse shall stand as a signal to the peoples; the nations shall inquire of him, and his dwelling shall be glorious.
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Psalm 72
May the righteous flourish; let there be an abundance of peace. (Ps. 72:7)
1 Give the king your jus- | tice, O God,
and your righteousness to | the king’s son;
2 that he may rule your | people righteously
and the | poor with justice;
3 that the mountains may bring prosperity | to the people,
and the | hills, in righteousness.
4 Let him defend the needy a- | mong the people,
rescue the poor, and crush | the oppressor. R
5 May he live as long as the sun and | moon endure,
from one generation | to another.
6 Let him come down like rain upon | the mown field,
like showers that wa- | ter the earth.
7 In his time may the | righteous flourish;
and let there be an abundance of peace till the moon shall | be no more.
18 Blessed are you, Lord God, the | God of Israel;
you alone do | wondrous deeds!
19 And blessed be your glorious | name forever,
and may all the earth be filled with your glory. A- | men. Amen. R
Second Reading: Romans 15:4-13
4 Whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, so that by steadfastness and by the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope. 5 May the God of steadfastness and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another, in accordance with Christ Jesus, 6 so that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
7 Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. 8 For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the circumcised on behalf of the truth of God in order that he might confirm the promises given to the ancestors 9 and that the gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written,
“Therefore I will confess you among the gentiles
and sing praises to your name”;
10 and again he says,
“Rejoice, O gentiles, with his people”;
11 and again,
“Praise the Lord, all you gentiles,
and let all the peoples praise him”;
12 and again Isaiah says,
“The root of Jesse shall come,
the one who rises to rule the gentiles;
in him the gentiles shall hope.”
13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Gospel Acclamation
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Gospel: Matthew 3:1-12
This is the holy gospel according to Matthew the 3rd chapter.
Glory to you, O Lord.
1 In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, 2 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” 3 This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said,
“The voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord;
make his paths straight.’ ”
4 Now John wore clothing of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5 Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region around the Jordan were going out to him, 6 and they were baptized by him in the River Jordan, confessing their sins.
7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8 Therefore, bear fruit worthy of repentance, 9 and do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. 10 Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
11 “I baptize you with water for repentance, but the one who is coming after me is more powerful than I, and I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and will gather his wheat into the granary, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, O Christ.
Sermon
Hymn of the Day
CCLI - Seek Ye First
The Nicene Creed
Prayers of Intercession
In our waiting and watching, we come to you in prayer, O God, trusting your promise to renew the church, the nations, and the whole creation.
A brief silence.
With wisdom and understanding, inspire the faithful around the world. Unite hearts and minds in work to address poverty, access to housing, and equity among peoples. God of grace,
hear our prayer.
With counsel and might, move us to care for creation. As we dream of the day when all creatures will flourish alongside one another, guide us in ways humanity and all creation will mutually thrive. God of grace,
hear our prayer.
With righteousness and faithfulness, encourage nations to live in harmony with one another. We pray for international student and teacher exchanges, for our partner churches, and for the shared mission of Lutheran World Relief and Lutheran Disaster Response. God of grace,
hear our prayer.
With steadfastness and encouragement, strengthen those who have lost hope in the face of grief, depression, or disease (especially). Renew the spirits of those recovering from surgery and medical procedures. God of grace,
hear our prayer.
With welcome and hospitality, embolden us in our shared ministry to overcome all that divides. In acts of repentance, reconciliation, and reparation, may we serve in the way of Christ. God of grace,
hear our prayer.
Here other intercessions may be offered.
With joy and peace, we remember our ancestors in the faith (especially Ambrose, Bishop of Milan, whom we commemorate today). Fill us with the hope of the Holy Spirit now and into the ages of ages. God of grace,
hear our prayer.
Draw near to us, O God, as we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in your mercy through Jesus Christ, Emmanuel.
Amen.
The Passing of Peace
The peace of the Lord be with you always.
And also with you.
Anthem
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Offertory Hymn
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Offertory Prayer
Nourishing God,
you are water in the wilderness and streams in the desert.
Through this meal, satisfy our parched places,
that we may rejoice and be for the world
signs of your kingdom come.
Amen.
The Great Thanksgiving
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 our thanks and praise.
It is indeed right, our duty and our joy, that we should at all
times and in all places give thanks and praise to you, almighty
and merciful God, through our Savior Jesus Christ. Fulfilling the
promise of the resurrection, you pour out the fire of your Spirit,
uniting in one body people of every nation and tongue.
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:
WOV Setting 8
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of pow’r and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory, full of your glory.
Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna in the highest.
Thanksgiving at the Table
Holy God, our Maker, Redeemer, and Healer, in the harmonious
world of your creation, the plants and animals, the seas and stars
were whole and well in your praise.
When sin had scarred the world, you sent your Son to heal our ills
and to form us again into one.
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.
Remembering, therefore, his acts of healing, his body given up,
and his victory over death, we await that day when all the
peoples of the earth will come to the river to enjoy the tree of
life.
Send your Spirit upon us and this meal: as grains scattered on
the hillside become one bread, so let your Church be gathered
from the ends of the earth, that all may be fed with the Bread of
life, your Son.
Through him all glory and honor is yours, Almighty Father,
with the Holy Spirit, in your holy Church, both now and forever.Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer
Lord remember us in your kingdom and teach us to pray:
Our Father, Who art in heaven,
Hollowed by 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.
God feeds us with tender mercy.
Come to the table.
Lamb of God
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Communion Hymns
CCLI - Word of God Speak
The Table Blessing
Here is life. God is with us.
Come, receive what God has promised.
Post Communion
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Prayer After Communion
God our host,
at this table you have fed us with joy and gladness.
Send us forth, eager to share the feast,
welcome the stranger,
and bear good fruit in the name of Jesus.
Amen.
Blessing
May God who comes among us,
Father, ☩ Son, and Holy Spirit,
grant you patience in waiting, peace in the darkness,
and good news to share today and always.
Amen.
Sending Hymn
ELW 239 - Hark, the Glad Sound! (vs. 1, 3, 4)
Dismissal
Go in peace. Keep awake.
Thanks be to God.
Photo by Erika Giraud on Unsplash
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