First Sunday of Christmas December 31, 2017

Transcription

1 First Sunday of Christmas December 31, 2017 Saint James Evangelical Lutheran Church 460 West Annapolis Street - West Saint Paul, MN Church Office: (651) Fax: (651) stjlc@saintjameslutheran.com Visit our web site: Pastor Michael Albrecht malbrecht@saintjameslutheran.com Pastor Richard Stadler rstadler@saintjameslutheran.com Tom Rowland Organist & Choir Director trowland5726@comcast.net Pastor Dale Critchley dcritchley@saintjameslutheran.com Terese Thune Youth Director tthune@saintjameslutheran.com Shirley Hess Parish Nurse pnstjlc@saintjameslutheran.com

2 WELCOME TO WORSHIP! First Sunday of Christmas December 31, 2017 Jesus was forty days old when Joseph and Mary brought Him to the Temple in Jerusalem to offer the sacrifices prescribed by the Law of Moses. They could not afford a lamb, so they offered two young pigeons for Mary s purification after childbirth. Little did they know that they would meet Simeon and Anna that day. Little did Simeon and Anna know that this would be the day they had been waiting for. Divine light and glory came to fill the Temple. GUESTS AND VISITORS, we are delighted that you are worshiping with us today! Please take a moment to fill out a Welcome, Guest card which is available in the pew racks and place it in the offering. For every guest who completes this form, Saint James will donate $5 to the Neighbor s Food Shelf. Also, stop by the Visitor Welcome Center as you leave and pick up a small gift. Thank you for coming, and please come back and visit again soon. You are always welcome here at Saint James. LARGE PRINT COPIES OF THE SERVICE ARE AVAILABLE IN THE NARTHEX. PREPARING FOR WORSHIP You are invited to ponder Psalm 111, which can be found in the pew Bible on page 464. SPECIAL POCKET HEARING SYSTEMS are available from the ushers for anyone desiring an amplified broadcast of the service. THE NURSERY is not staffed but is available for parents who have young children who become noisy or restless during the service. We are thankful for families who teach their children to worship by bringing them to church. When your little ones become noisy, feel free to take them to the narthex or the nursery to settle them down. The service can be seen and heard on TV in both locations. 2

3 THE ORDER OF SERVICE PRELUDE: (8:00) Sing We Now of Christmas (10:10) Carol Sing Wagner GATHERING HYMN: Christian Worship #34 Now Sing We, Now Rejoice The melody In Dulci Jubilo ("In sweet rejoicing") is a traditional Christmas carol. In its original setting, the carol is a macaronic text of German and Latin dating from the Middle Ages. Subsequent translations into English, such as John Mason Neale's arrangement, "Good Christian Men, Rejoice," have increased its popularity, and Robert Pearsall's 1837 macaronic translation is a mainstay of the Christmas Nine Lessons and Carols repertoire. Johann Sebastian Bach's chorale prelude based on the tune is also a traditional postlude for Christmas services. for stanza 4 PASTORAL GREETING: Pastor Albrecht INVOCATION: P: Our heavenly Father gathers His baptized children in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. C: (sing) Amen. CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION: P: I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born again of water and the Spirit. C: Flesh gives birth to flesh, and the Spirit gives birth to spirit. P: Surely, we were sinful at birth, sinful from the time our mothers conceived us. C: But we were washed, we were sanctified, we were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. P: As baptized children of God, we confess our sins. 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 both present and eternal punishment. I am sorry for my sins, and trusting in my Savior Jesus Christ, I pray: Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner. P: Christ loved the church and gave Himself for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to Himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish. Therefore, as a called and ordained 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: (sing) Amen. P: In the peace of forgiveness, let us praise the Lord. 3

4 HYMN OF PRAISE: Christian Worship #299 All Who Believe and Are Baptized Thomas Hansen Kingo was a Danish bishop, poet and hymnwriter born at Slangerup, near Copenhagen on December 15, His grandfather had come from Scotland, and his father was a weaver. He studied theology at the University of Copenhagen, graduating in 1654, and for some time acted as private tutor. In 1668, he was ordained a Lutheran minister at his native town, where his poetic activity began. At first, he wrote patriotic poems, but later devoted himself almost entirely to writing hymns. Appointed by the king to compile a new hymn book, he edited what became known as Kingo's hymnal (1699), which contains 85 of his own compositions, and which is still used in various parts of Denmark and Norway. The same goes for the Faroe Islands, where his hymns have been in widespread use through most of the 20th century, often sung to quite complicated folk melodies. His work marked the high point of Danish baroque poetry. His strong interest in the Danish language was a bit unusual at a time when cultured young men were said to write Latin to their friends, address ladies in French, call their dogs in German, and use Danish only for abusing the servants. Kingo died at Odense on October 14, PRAYER OF THE DAY PSALM OF THE DAY: Christian Worship, page 106 Psalm 111 We wear fancy clothing and invite family and friends to share the joyous celebration of a wedding. In a similar way, the Gospel goes out from Jerusalem to bless all the nations of the earth. OLD TESTAMENT LESSON: Isaiah 61:10 62:3 10 I rejoice greatly in the LORD, I exult in my God; for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation and wrapped me in a robe of righteousness, as a groom wears a turban and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. 11 For as the earth produces its growth, and as a garden enables what is sown to spring up, so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations. 1 I will not keep silent because of Zion, and I will not keep still because of Jerusalem, until her righteousness shines like a bright light and her salvation, like a flaming torch. 2 Nations will see your righteousness and all kings, your glory. You will be given a new name that the LORD's mouth will announce. 3 You will be a glorious crown in the LORD's hand, and a royal diadem in the palm of your God's hand. Reading Response P: This is the word of the Lord. C: Thanks be to God! P: Everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. Alleluia! C: (sing) Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! 4

5 EPISTLE LESSON: Galatians 4:4-7 4 When the time came to completion, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. 6 And because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba, Father! " 7 So you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then God has made you an heir. God sent His Son at the perfect time to redeem us and adopt us as His beloved children. God sent the Spirit at the perfect time to inspire our prayers and to give us an everlasting inheritance. Reading Response P: This is the word of the Lord. C: Thanks be to God! VERSE OF THE DAY: Christian Worship, page 40 GOSPEL LESSON: Luke 2: And when the days of their purification according to the law of Moses were finished, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23 (just as it is written in the law of the Lord, Every firstborn male will be dedicated to the Lord) 24 and to offer a sacrifice (according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons). 25 There was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, looking forward to Israel's consolation, and the Holy Spirit was on him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he saw the Lord's Messiah. 27 Guided by the Spirit, he entered the temple. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform for him what was customary under the law, 28 Simeon took him up in his arms, praised God, and said, 29 Now, Master, you can dismiss your servant in peace, as you promised. 30 For my eyes have seen your salvation. 31 You have prepared it in the presence of all peoples a light for revelation to the Gentiles and glory to your people Israel. 33 His father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them and told his mother Mary: "Indeed, this child is destined to cause the fall and rise of many in Israel and to be a sign that will be opposed and a sword will pierce your own soul -- that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed." 36 There was also a prophetess, Anna, a daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was well along in years, having lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, 37 and was a widow for eighty-four years. She did not leave the temple, serving God night and day with fasting and prayers. 38 At that very moment, she came up and began to thank God and to speak about him to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem. 39 When they had 5 Simeon got to hold the Baby Jesus in his own arms, and Simeon gave us a song that the church has been singing for 2,000 years. Anna served God for many years by fasting and praying in the Temple, and Anna got to see Baby Jesus with her own eyes.

6 completed everything according to the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. 40 The boy grew up and became strong, filled with wisdom, and God's grace was on him. Gospel Response P: This is the Gospel of the Lord. C: Praise to You, O Christ! THE SACRAMENT OF HOLY BAPTISM: (10:30) We rejoice with the angels in heaven as Hazel Winifred Farley, infant daughter of Paul and Jennifer Farley, is born again of water and the Spirit. We pray that Hazel will keep on growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. THE APOSTLES CREED: Christian Worship, page 41 Children are invited to come forward during the sermon hymn for the Children s Message. SERMON HYMN: Christian Worship #78 O Light of Gentile Nations Johann Franck was born in the little town of Guben, about 80 miles southeast of Berlin on June 1, 1618, the same year that the Thirty Years War began. His father died when Johann was only two years old. Johann s uncle, the city judge Adam Tielke, adopted him and paid for his education. Johann studied law at the University of Koenigsberg, where he was strongly influenced by Simon Dach, professor of poetry. Following his marriage to Anna Kastner, Johann returned to Guben at the request of his mother. There he began to practice law in 1645, and was elected mayor in Johann wrote a large number of secular and religious poems and about 110 hymns. He died at Guben on January 18, SERMON: Text: Luke 2:22-40 Title: Light and Glory Fill the Temple RESPONSE TO THE SERMON: Christian Worship #49 Rejoice, Rejoice This Happy Morn Birgitte Katarine Johansen Boye, the oldest of seven children, was born on March 7, 1742 at Gentofte, Denmark. At an early age, Birgitte was betrothed to Herman Hertz, a hunter and gamekeeper in service of the king. They were married in 1763 and had four children within five years. In the mid-1770s, Herman s position was abolished, but Prince Fredrik ordered that both of his sons be educated at his expense. Following a year-long illness, Herman died, and Birgitte received a three-year pension from the prince. In 1778, Birgitte married Hans Boye, who worked in the customhouse in Copenhagen. Birgitte was a talented woman who studied French, German and English, so she could read literature in those languages. In 1772 the Society for the Advancement of the Liberal Arts 6

7 issued a call for contributions from every person who had a desire and talent for writing sacred poetry. Birgitte responded by submitting 20 poems, of which 18 were published. She continued to compose and translate hymns, and contributed 124 original texts and 24 translations to a hymnal that was published by Ove Guldberg. She also wrote nationalistic poetry and dramatic works, many of which were apparently performed for special royal events. She died in Copenhagen on October 17, OFFERING: We gladly and gratefully bring our gifts to God, who gave us His Son. OFFERTORY: The First Noel Carter HYMN OF REDEDICATION: Christian Worship #66, stanzas 3-4 How Silently, How Silently Give online at give.4gvn.us You can find step by step directions in the I Give Online card available in the pew racks. Phillips (his mother s surname) Brooks was born in Boston on December 13, He grew up in a musical home where memorizing and reciting hymns was part of his early education. By the time he was ready for college, he had memorized more than 200 hymns. He graduated from Harvard in Following his graduation from Episcopal Virginia Theological Seminary in 1859, he was ordained in the Protestant Episcopal Church in He served churches in Philadelphia and Boston, and was known as an eloquent preacher. He was invited to preach for Queen Victoria in Westminster Abbey. He delivered a series of Lectures on Preaching at Yale Divinity School in He was awarded an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from Oxford in He traveled to India, Japan, and Europe, and in December 1865 he visited the Holy Land, where he was inspired to write this wellknown hymn. He was named Bishop of Massachusetts only two years before he died in Boston on January 23, 1893, at the age of 58. PRAYER FOR OURSELVES AND OTHERS LORD S PRAYER BENEDICTION SENDING HYMN: Christian Worship #71, stanzas 1-4 The Old Year Now Has Passed Away ORGAN POSTLUDE: Greensleeves Purvis 7

8 SAINT JAMES FOUNDATION Remember the Foundation in your will your gift can make a difference for generations to come. Suggested Wording: In thanks to God for the gift of His Son Jesus, and for all His blessings to me in my lifetime, I gift and bequeath to Saint James Lutheran Church Foundation at 460 West Annapolis Street, West Saint Paul, MN the amount of $ or (specify the asset.). SERVING IN OUR WORSHIP TODAY Pastor Michael Albrecht (preaching) Organist: Tom Rowland Ushers: (8:00) Len Bohrer and Team #3 (10:30) Dave Miller and Team #4 Audio Video Team: Hannah Critchley, Sharon Ferrara, Glenn & Wendy Gatzke, Jerry Hinz, Len & Diane Munson, Jerry Peterson, Becky Martinez, Lorna Redding, and Leif Thune Screen Slide Production: Ami Heesch PEOPLE TO PRAY FOR Let us remember to pray for some of our veteran members: Vic & Lolla Keller, Eileen Lick, Phyllis Malmgren MISSIONS TO PRAY FOR This week please pray for Pastor John Fehrmann and the Confessional Lutheran Education Foundation, as they provide theological training for Lutheran pastors in Chile and Venezuela and Ghana and Sri Lanka and the Philippines. FLOWERS Stewardship Thought Speak up for those who have no voice. Be generous and help those in need. (Contributed by a Saint James member) Thank you to all who contributed to the Poinsettia Garden. Thank you to the Saint James family who donated the two Christmas trees for the chancel. If you would like to order FLOWERS please contact Altar Guild Flower Chairwoman Kathy Stadler at or stadlerek@comcast.net. Living as a Local Missionary Put a Prayer Requests box in an accessible spot in your office or employee lounge. Let people know that you will pray for them. 8