The Eve of the Nativity of Our Lord 2015 The Liturgy of the Shepherds. Zion Lutheran Church Wausau, Wisconsin. 8:00 p.m.

Transcription

1 The Eve of the Nativity of Our Lord 2015 The Liturgy of the Shepherds Zion Lutheran Church Wausau, Wisconsin 8:00 p.m.

2 Sharing God s Blessings Tonight s radio broadcast is sponsored by Dick and Dianne Ames in memory of loved ones, and for blessings received. Tonight s bulletins are sponsored in memory of Richard D. Westcott, forever in our hearts, from Darcey Westcott, and Madison and Michael Cornell. The evergreen trees at the altar are donated by Tim and Jessica Pagel, and Wayne Dettmering s tree lot. The trees are decorated with chrismons, symbols of Christ, handmade by Zion members. Please refer to the bulletin insert for a listing of all who gave to the Christmas Decorating Fund. Born Unto You! Imagine Bethlehem the night our Lord was born. God is there. He is recognized by ox and donkey, praised by angelic choirs. The stars adjust themselves to look down. It looks like heaven. Don t be fooled. Salvation is not in heaven. It is on earth, where the Savior was born for us earthlings. Heaven is not some distant place. It is here, on earth. Do not think that you must ascend to God, that you must conquer heaven by violence or works, sneak in, or charm the Lord. Unto you is born a Savior, here. He has descended. He has leaped down from heaven.... He is born unto all of you, to shepherds and priests, bankers and police, soldiers and salesmen. He is born unto the good and the bad, frequent attenders and once-ayear-stoppers-by, to the faithful and the not-so-faithful. A Savior is born unto you and He is no respecter of persons. He does not check pedigrees or attendance records. He is not impressed by the person who gives generously. He is not offended by the one who gives nothing. He is born unto all. He is born unto you. This is the cause of our holy fear. It is holy food for holy people, that is, for you. Do not think that you are not holy. You are holy for the Lord God has declared you holy in His Son. The feast this night is nothing less than His body and blood given in bread and wine. God has a body. God has blood. God has a soul. God is a man, born unto us, that the hearts of men might be glad and free of sin and come back to their Creator without shame or terror, but in joy. ~ Pr. David Peterson, Redeemer-Fort Wayne, in a sermon at Christmas midnight 2

3 PRELUDE RINGING OF THE BELLS Please stand and turn toward the cross as it is carried into the sanctuary. PROCESSIONAL HYMN Oh, Come, All Ye Faithful C: Oh, come, all ye faithful, Joyful and triumphant! Oh, come ye, oh, come ye to Bethlehem; Come and behold him Born the king of angels; Oh, come, let us adore him, Oh, come, let us adore him, Oh, come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord! The highest, most holy, Light of light eternal, Born of a virgin, a mortal he comes; Son of the Father Now in flesh appearing! Oh, come, let us adore him, Oh, come, let us adore him, Oh, come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord! See how the shepherds, Summoned to his cradle, Leaving their flocks, Draw nigh to gaze! And we, rejoicing, Swiftly add our footsteps: Oh, come, let us adore him, Oh, come, let us adore him, Oh, come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord! Sing, choirs of angels, Sing in exultation, Sing, all ye citizens of heaven above! Glory to God In the highest: Oh, come, let us adore him, Oh, come, let us adore him, Oh, come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord! GREETING P: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. C: And also with you. 3

4 The Gloria did not appear in our Advent worship, removed for a time as we prepared for Christ s arrival. Sung first by the angels on the night of His birth, it now returns to our worship to mark our joy at His coming. And if this great, cosmic event causes angels to sing, how much more should you, unto whom the Savior is born, sing and praise God s holy name? ~ Pr. David Petersen, Redeemer- Fort Wayne, in a sermon at Christmas midnight GLORIA P: Glory to God in the highest, C: and peace to his people on earth. HYMN OF PRAISE Angels From the Realms of Glory C: Angels from the realms of glory, Wing your flight o er all the earth; Once you sang creation s story, Now proclaim Messiah s birth: Come and worship, come and worship; Worship Christ, the newborn king. Shepherds in the fields abiding, Watching o er your flocks by night, God with us is now residing, Yonder shines the infant light. Come and worship, come and worship; Worship Christ, the newborn king. All creation, join in praising, God the Father, Spirit, Son, Evermore your voices raising To the eternal Three in One. Come and worship, come and worship; Worship Christ, the newborn king. PRAYER OF THE DAY P: Let us pray: O God, you made this holy night to shine with the brightness of the true Light. Grant that here on earth we may walk in the light of Jesus presence and in the last day awake to the brightness of his glory; through your only Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. C: Amen Please be seated. 4

5 OLD TESTAMENT Isaiah 9:2-7 2The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined. 3You have multiplied the nation; you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as they are glad when they divide the spoil. 4 For the yoke of his burden, and the staff for his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian. 5 For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the fire. 6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this. L: The Word of the Lord. C: Thanks be to God. CHORAL RESPONSE Gesu Bambino Pietro A. Yon EPISTLE Titus 2: For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all, 12training us to renounce our wicked ways and our worldly passions, and in the present age to live lives that are self-controlled, upright, and godly, 13 while we wait for the blessed hope and the manifestation of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. 14 He it is who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from everything that is evil and purify for himself a people of his own who are zealous for good deeds. L: The Word of the Lord. C: Thanks be to God. 5

6 Please stand and turn towards the Holy Scriptures as they are carried into the midst of the congregation. PROCESSIONAL VERSE From East to West P: The Holy Gospel of our Lord, according to St. Luke, the 2nd chapter. The fount of Mary s joy Revealed now lies, For, lo, has not the Boy His Father s eyes? ~ Charles L. O Donnell, The Son of God P: 15When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us. 16 So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. 17 When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. P: The Gospel of the Lord. 6

7 PROCESSIONAL VERSE From East to West NICENE CREED P: Let us confess the faith with one heart. C: 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; by the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate from the virgin Mary, and was made man. 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. With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified. He has spoken through the prophets. We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one Baptism for the for- 7

8 giveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen Please be seated. HYMN OF THE DAY Lo, How a Rose Is Growing green hymnal #58 Jesus is Godwith-us, Emmanuel. The great mystery of God becoming human is God s desire to be loved by us. By becoming a vulnerable child, completely dependent on human care, God wants to take away all distance between the human and the divine.... SERMON Into the Darkness Please kneel. THE PRAYERS P:... O King of Kings, C: receive our prayer. Please be seated. OFFERING VOLUNTARY What Child is This Please stand. OFFERTORY I Am So Glad Each Christmas Eve Widmar C: I am so glad each Christmas Eve, The night of Jesus birth, Then like the sun the star shone forth, And angels sang on earth. The little child in Bethlehem, He was a king indeed! For he came down from heav n above To help a world in need. 8

9 He dwells again in heaven s realm, The Son of God today; And still he loves his little ones And hears them when they pray. I am so glad each Christmas Eve, His praises then I sing; He opens now for ev ry child The palace of the king. OFFERTORY PRAYER P: Blessed are you, heavenly Father, for the priceless gift of your Son, sent into our flesh to redeem the creation. Grant that we may now so eat of his flesh and drink of his blood that we may ever dwell in him, and he in us. C: Amen THE GREAT THANKSGIVING P: The Lord be with you. P: Lift up your hearts. P: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. P: It is indeed right and salutary... we praise your name and join their unending hymn:.... Who can be afraid of a little child who needs to be fed, to be cared for, to be taught, to be guided? We usually talk about God as the allpowerful, almighty God on whom we depend completely. But God wanted to become the allpowerless, allvulnerable God who completely depends on us. How can we be afraid of a God who wants to be God-withus and wants us to become Us-with God? ~ Henri J. M. Nouwen, Bread for the Journey, 1997 A.D. 9

10 SANCTUS ( Holy ) Thus this Holy Supper will transform our souls; this most divine sacrament will make us divine men, until finally we shall enter upon the fullness of the blessedness that is to come, filled with all the fullness of God, and wholly like Him. ~ Johann Gerhard, Sacred Meditations XX, 1606 A.D. WORDS OF INSTITUTION P: Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when he was betrayed, took bread; and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: Take, eat; this is my body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of me. In the same way also he took the cup after the supper, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying: Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink of it, in remembrance of me. THE LORD S PRAYER P: Lord, remember us in your kingdom, and teach us to pray: C: 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 tres- 10

11 passes, 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 ACCLAMATION P: The Word was made flesh C: and we have seen his glory, full of grace and truth. AGNUS DEI ( Lamb of God ) Please be seated. The congregation is ushered forward for Communion. If you cannot use the steps to the altar, you may either ask an usher to have Communion brought to you, or you may go to the altar in the side (west) chapel. Those not communing may cross their arms over their chest for a blessing. What is the glory of God? The majesty that had nowhere to lay its head; the grandeur that was meek and lowly; the beauty that had neither form nor comeliness that anyone should desire Him; the splendor of a lonely Wanderer, weary and footsore, with nails through His hands and feet.... I have found in and through Him all the God I want. Nothing less than that. All that I know of God, I do not say that I have learned it from Him; I say that I have seen it in Him. ~ Pr. Paul Scherer, 1961 A.D. 11

12 Holy Communion is the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ which He joyfully gives to His Church to eat and to drink. This gift bestows tremendous benefits. His body and blood forgives ours sins, strengthens our faith, binds us to the Lord, and unites us with each other. In this is life and salvation. The Lord therefore invites to His altar baptized Christians who trust that they will receive in Holy Communion all that He promises there: His body and blood, the forgiveness of sins, union with Christ and His Church, life, and salvation. Know that He gives it to you with great joy. SOLO Still, Still, Still Wetzler COMMUNION HYMNS Away in a Manger green hymnal #67 Your Little Ones, Dear Lord green hymnal #52 Please stand after all have received the sacrament. POST-COMMUNION PRAYER P: Let us pray. O God of wonder, C: we have tasted your goodness, and beheld your presence in the Word made flesh. Shine forth his light in all we say and do, and fill the earth with your glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen Please light your candles from the aisle candles. 12

13 HYMN Silent Night, Holy Night! C: Silent night, holy night! All is calm, all is bright Round yon virgin mother and child. Holy infant, so tender and mild, Sleep in heavenly peace, Sleep in heavenly peace. Silent night, holy night! Shepherds quake at the sight; Glories stream from heaven afar, Heav'nly hosts sing, Alleluia! Christ, the Savior, is born! Christ, the Savior, is born! Silent night, holy night! Son of God, love's pure light Radiant beams from thy holy face, With the dawn of redeeming grace, Jesus, Lord, at thy birth, Jesus, Lord, at thy birth. Please extinguish your candle, holding it upright until it cools. Place your candle in the baskets by the exits. BENEDICTION P: The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord look upon you with favor and give you peace. Please turn toward the cross as it is carried out of the sanctuary. 13

14 A Prayer As You Go O almighty God, Who, having begun a good work in me, will perform it until the Day of Jesus Christ, grant that my love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment, that I may approve things that are excellent, that I may be sincere and without offense, till the Day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. Amen RECESSIONAL HYMN Joy to the World C: Joy to the world, the Lord is come! Let earth receive its King; Let ev ry heart prepare him room And heav n and nature sing, And heav n and nature sing, And heav n, and heav n and nature sing. Joy to the earth, the Savior reigns! Let all their songs employ, While fields and floods, Rocks, hills, and plains Repeat the sounding joy, Repeat the sounding joy, Repeat, repeat the sounding joy. No more let sin and sorrow grow Nor thorns infest the ground; He comes to make his blessing flow Far as the curse is found, Far as the curse is found, Far as, far as the curse is found. He rules the world with truth and grace And makes the nations prove The glories of his righteousness And wonders of his love, And wonders of his love, And wonders, wonders of his love. POSTLUDE Noel X (Grand Jeu et Duo) + Soli Deo Gloria + To God alone be glory Louis-Claude Daquin 14

15 Serving at Worship Preacher: Rev. Steven Gjerde Liturgist: Rev. Ted Gulhaugen Organist: Kantor Irene Beethe Flutist: Dr. Jacob Roseman Pianist: Dr. Molly Roseman Vocalist: Karla Tennant Elder: Gordon Schalow Radio Announcer: Dick Ames Communion Assistants: Sally Christoffersen; Marge Gausewitz Acolytes: Hailey Revie; Jay Stahl; Mitch Steinke Altar Guild: Bonnie Glasel; Lynn McGonagle; Donna Nuernberg Acknowledgements The liturgy and hymns are from the Lutheran Book of Worship, Old Testament and Epistle scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved. Used by permission. The Gospel scripture is from The Holy Bible, New Revised Standard Version 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved. Used by permission. From East to West text and tune: public domain. 15

16 Zion Lutheran Church Sixth and Grant Streets, Wausau, Wisconsin Those who trust in the Lord shall be like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever. (Psalm 125:1) Church Telephone: Senior Pastor Steven K. Gjerde Associate Pastor Theodore B. Gulhaugen Kantor Irene Beethe Parish Nurse Lenore Grosinske Office Manager Pam Gabriel Secretary Anna Mae Zeinemann Head Custodian Michael Renken Custodian Roger Ormond To contact us by To visit our webpage: Host of the Wausau Lutheran Hour Sundays, 9:00 am, WSAU Radio 550AM (or click Listen Live at Member Congregation of Lutheran CORE 16