Fourth Sunday in Advent -December 20, 2020

Today’s Theme for Worship: Jesus is the Son of David, the royal heir who set up an eternal kingdom.

Order of Service: Service of Word and Sacrament

 

Gathering Rite:                                                                    We Wait in Hope

Special Music sings:

All Creation lies in waiting,

in the stillness of the night,

with hope anticipating

the Advent of Eternal Light.

 

M:     Advent is a time to praise.

C:      Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.

M:     During Advent we remember God’s past faithfulness.

C:      Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.

M:     During Advent we remember God’s present goodness.

C:      Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.

M:     During Advent we remember God’s future promises.

C:      Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.

M:     This morning we light four candles. The first candle reminds us that during Advent we wait upon the promises of the Lord. The second candle reminds us that Advent is a time to watch for God’s presence with expectant eyes and anxious hearts. The third candle reminds us to prepare ourselves to receive the gift of the promised Savior. As we light the fourth candle we are reminded that Advent is a time to give praise for what God has done, what he is currently doing, and what he will bring to completion. As the light of Advent grows brighter it reminds us that we move closer to celebrating the gift of a Savior.

Refrain (congregation)

We praise with hope for the morning Light,

For the love of Christ to illuminate the night.

We praise with joy for the Savior's birth;

We praise with hope for peace on earth.

 

Order of Service: Service of Word and Sacrament

 

P: The grace of our Lord + Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you.

C: And also with you.

 

Confession of Sins

P: God invites us to come into his presence and worship him with humble and penitent hearts. Therefore, let us acknowledge our sinfulness and ask him to forgive us.

C: Holy and merciful Father, I confess that I am by nature sinful, and that I have disobeyed you in my thoughts, words, and actions.  I have done what is evil and failed to do what is good.  For this I deserve your punishment both now and in eternity.  But I am truly sorry for my sins, and trusting in my Savior Jesus Christ, I pray:  Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner.

P: God, our heavenly Father, has been merciful to us and has given his only Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Therefore, as a called servant of Christ and by his authority, I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit.

C:  Amen.

 

Lord, Have Mercy

P: For all that we need in life and for the wisdom to use all your gifts with gratitude and joy, hear our prayer, O Lord.

C: ♬ Lord, have mer-cy.

P: For the steadfast assurance that nothing can separate us from your love and for the courage to stand firm against the assaults of Satan and every evil, hear our prayer, O Christ.

C: ♬ Christ, have mer-cy.

 

P: For the well-being of your holy Church in all the world and for those who offer here their worship and praise, hear our prayer, O Lord.

C: ♬ Lord, have mer-cy.

 

P: Merciful God, maker and preserver of life, uphold us by your power and keep us in your tender care:

C: ♬ A-men.

 

P: The works of the Lord are great and glorious; his name is worthy of praise.

 

♬ O Lord, Our Lord

O Lord, our Lord, how glo-rious is your name in all the earth.

Al-might-y God, mer-ci-ful Father,

you crown our life with your love.

 

You take a-way our sin; you com-fort our spir-it;

you make us pure and ho-ly in your sight.

You did not spare your on-ly Son, but gave him up for us all.

O Lord, our Lord, how glo-rious is your name in all the earth.

 

O Son of God, e-ter-nal Word of the Fa-ther,

you came to live with us;

you made your Fa-ther known;

you washed us from our sins in your own blood.

 

You are the King of glo-ry; you are the Lord!

O Lord, our Lord, how glo-rious is your name in all the earth.

 

 

Prayer of the Day

P: Let us Pray.

Stir up your power, O Lord, and come. Take away the burden of our sin s and make us ready for the celebration of your birth, that we may receive  you in jo y and serv e you always; for you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and forever. C: ♬ A-men.

 

First Lesson: 2 Samuel 7:8-16

God promises that he will set up a lasting kingdom for David and the people of Israel.

8You are also to say the following to my servant David.

This is what the Lord of Armies says. I took you from the pasture, from following sheep, to be ruler over my people, over Israel. 9I have been with you wherever you went. I have cut off all your enemies from before you. I will make your reputation great, like that of the great ones on the earth. 10I will set up a place for my people Israel, and I will plant them there. They will dwell there, and they will not be disturbed again. Violent men will not afflict them again as they did at the beginning 11and ever since the day I appointed judges over my people Israel. I will give you rest from all your enemies.

The Lord also declares to you that the Lord himself will make a house for you. 12When your days are complete and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up after you your seed, who will come from your own body. I will establish his kingdom. 13He will build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he sins, I will discipline him with a rod used by men and with blows of the sons of men. 15My faithful mercy will not depart from him as I removed it from Saul, whom I removed to make room for you. 16Your house will stand firm, and your kingdom will endure forever before you. Your throne will be established forever.

 

Psalm of the Day – Psalm 89

Refrain

At the works of your hands, O Lord, I lift up my voice in song;

I sing for joy.

 

I will sing of the LORD’S great love forever;*

I will make your faithfulness known through all generations.

 

I will declare that your love stands firm forever,*

that you established your faithfulness in heaven itself.

 

The heavens praise your wonders, O LORD,*

your faithfulness too, in the assembly of the holy ones.

 

 

Refrain

At the works of your hands, O Lord, I lift up my voice in song;

I sing for joy.

 

O LORD God Almighty, who is like you?*

You are mighty, O LORD, and your faithfulness surrounds you.

 

Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you,*

who walk in the light of your presence, O LORD.

 

They rejoice in your name all day long;*

they exult in your righteousness.

 

Glory be to the Father and to the Son*

and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning,*

is now, and will be forever. Amen.

 

Refrain

At the works of your hands, O Lord, I lift up my voice in song;

I sing for joy.

 

Refrain Tune: Steven Warner. Originally published as Psalm 92 refrain in Psaltery. © 1983 Steven Warner. All rights reserved.

 

Second Lesson: Romans 16:25-27

Paul praises God, who revealed Jesus Christ as the Savior that all might believe.

25Now to him who is able to strengthen you—

according to my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was veiled in silence for long ages past, 26but now has been revealed through the prophetic Scriptures and made known to all the Gentiles, in keeping with the command of the eternal God, resulting in the obedience of faith—

27to God, who alone is wise, be glory forever through Jesus Christ. Amen.

 

Hymn of the Day: 23 Oh, Come, Oh, Come, Emmanuel

1  Oh, come, oh, come, Emmanuel, And ransom captive Israel

That mourns in lonely exile here Until the Son of God appear.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to you, O Israel!

 

2  Oh, come, O Root of Jesse, free Your own from Satan’s tyranny;

From depths of hell your people save, And bring them vict’ry o’er the grave.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to you, O Israel!

 

3  Oh, come, O Dayspring from on high, And cheer us by your drawing nigh;

Disperse the gloomy clouds of night, And death’s dark shadows put to flight.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to you, O Israel!

 

4  Oh, come, O Key of David, come, And open wide our heav’nly home.

Make safe the way that leads on high, And close the path to misery.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to you, O Israel!

 

Text: Latin hymn, c. 12th century, abr.; tr. John M. Neale, 1818-66, alt.

 

Sermon: Luke 1:26-38
Theme & Parts:      "The Savior of the Nations Has Come."
                  I.  He came by miracle of virgin birth.
                 II.  He came as the holy Son of God.
                III.  He came to be Jesus, our Savior.

 

Luke 1:26-38
26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”

34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”

35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called[a] the Son of God. 36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. 37 For no word from God will ever fail.”

38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.

Nicene Creed

We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one being with the Father.

Through him all things were made.  For us and for our salvation, he came down from heaven, was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary, and became fully human.  For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate.  He suffered death and was buried.  On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures.

He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.  He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who in unity with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets.  We believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church.  We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.  We look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come.  Amen.

 

Offering

Electronic Giving! You can give your offerings from your smartphone with the GivePlusChurch app, which can be downloaded for free at Google Play or the App Store. You can also give at holytrinitylutheranwyoming.com by clicking the Offerings link at the top of the page or scan the QR code below. If you have any questions about any of these options, please contact Dave Conrad at dconrad765@gmail.com or 616-406-7172

 

 

 

 

 

 


Prayer of the Church

 

Lord’s Prayer

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.

 

The Sacrament

 

P: The Lord be with you.

C: ♬ And also with you.

P: Lift up your hearts.

C: ♬ We lift them up to the Lord.

 

P: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

C: ♬ It is right to give him thanks and praise.

 

P: Praise to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In love he has blessed us with every spiritual blessing. Through his holy prophets, he promised a king to bring light to those living in darkness and in the shadow of death. Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ. To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and thanks and honor and glory for ever and ever.

 

♬ Holy, Holy, Holy

Ho-ly, ho-ly, ho-ly is the Lord of hosts.

The whole earth is full of your glo-ry.

 

You are my God, and I will ex-alt you.

I will give you thanks, for you have be-come my sal-va-tion.

Ho-ly, ho-ly, ho-ly is the Lord of hosts.

The whole earth is full of your glo-ry.

 

Words of Institution

P: Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night he was betrayed, took bread; and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying “Take and eat; this is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

Then he took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it all of you; this is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for you for the forgiveness of sins. Do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.”

 

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

C: ♬ A-men.

 

♬ O Christ, Lamb Of God

O Christ, Lamb of God,

you take a-way the sin of the world;

have mer-cy on us.

 

O Christ, Lamb of God,

you take a-way the sin of the world;

have mer-cy on us.

 

O Christ, Lamb of God,

you take a-way the sin of the world;

grant us your peace.

A-men.

 

 

Thank the Lord

Thank the Lord and sing his praise.

Tell ev-'ry-one what he has done.

 

Let all who seek the Lord re-joice

And proud-ly bear his name.

 

He re-news his prom-is-es and leads his peo-ple forth

in joy with shouts of thanks-giv-ing.

 

Al-le-lu-ia! Al-le-lu-ia!

 

Prayer

P: Hear the prayer of your people, O Lord, that the lips which have praised you here may glorify you in the world, that the eyes which have seen the coming of your Son may long for his coming again, and that all who have received in his true body and blood the pledge of your forgiveness may be restored to live a new and holy life, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

C: A-men.

 

Blessing

M: Brothers and sisters, go in peace. Live in harmony with one another.  Serve the Lord with gladness.

The Lord bless you and keep you.

The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you.

The Lord look on you with favor and give you peace.

C: (sing) Amen. Amen. Amen.

 

Closing Hymn: 58  See in Yonder Manger Low

1  See in yonder manger low, Born for us on earth below,

See-the gentle Lamb appears, Promised from eternal years.

Refrain:

Hail the ever blessed morn; Hail redemption’s happy dawn;

Sing through all Jerusalem, “Christ is born in Bethlehem!”

 

2  Lo, within a stable lies He who built the starry skies,

He who, throned in height sublime, Sits amid the cherubim.

Refrain:

Hail the ever blessed morn; Hail redemption’s happy dawn;

Sing through all Jerusalem, “Christ is born in Bethlehem!”

 

3  Sacred Infant, all divine, What a tender love was thine,

Thus to come from highest bliss Down to such a world as this.

Refrain:

Hail the ever blessed morn; Hail redemption’s happy dawn;

Sing through all Jerusalem, “Christ is born in Bethlehem!”

 

4  Teach, oh, teach us, holy Child, By thy face so meek and mild,

Teach us to resemble thee In thy sweet humility.

Refrain:

Hail the ever blessed morn; Hail redemption’s happy dawn;

Sing through all Jerusalem, “Christ is born in Bethlehem!”

Text: Edward Caswall, 1814-78, alt.