St. Paul Lutheran WacoTx. Sunday Worship 8:00am & 10:30am Sunday School & Bible Class 9:15am Church office Church Fax

Transcription

1 Sunday Worship 8:00am & 10:30am Sunday School & Bible Class 9:15am Church office Church Fax On the Web Senior Pastor Rev. Larry Krueger Associate Pastor Rev. Matthew Hardaway Pastor Emeritus Rev. Walter F. Albers Deaconess Dcs. Suzanne Krahn Organist/Music Dir. Steve Randolph Administrative Asst. Cindy Byrd St. Paul Lutheran WacoTx

2 Welcome to St. Paul Lutheran Church The Church on the Highway Where Life and Jesus Intersect Fourth Sunday in Advent December 23, 2018 Be thoughtful - be silent - be reverent; for this is the house of the Lord. Before the service, speak to the Lord; During the service, let the Lord speak to you; After the service, speak to one another. ANNOUNCEMENTS REGISTRATION CARDS: Welcome! We worship in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. May God bless you as we gather before the throne of heaven. Members, please remember to fill out a White Registration Card so we can have a proper soul-accounting, and Guests, please sign the guest book and complete a Yellow Visitor Card located in the hymnal rack. Please place your completed card in the card collection slot at the end of each pew (center aisle side). LIVE STREAMING OF WORSHIP SERVICES: Our 10:30am Sunday worship service is streamed live on the Internet. To view the service, go to the church Web site at click on the link LIVE STREAM & ARCHIVES on the home page. This will take you to a new Web page and you can then select which service to view. (CCLI#CSPL071009) REMEMBER OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN PRAYER: Please see the News & Events insert for a complete list of prayer needs. FLOWERS were placed on our altar today to the glory of God by Larry & Carol Graf in thankfulness for their family and the birth of Jesus Christ. Page - 1 -

3 PRAYER BEFORE DIVINE WORSHIP Almighty, and everlasting God, for my many sins I justly deserve eternal condemnation. In Your mercy You sent Your dear Son, my Lord, Jesus Christ, who won for me the forgiveness of sins and everlasting salvation. Grant me a true confession that, dead to sin, I may be raised up by Your life-giving absolution. Grant me Your Holy Spirit that I may be ever watchful and live a true and godly life in Your service; through Jesus Christ, My Lord. Amen. ORDER OF DIVINE WORSHIP (Please silence your cell phones and mobile devices during our worship time. Our 10:30am worship service is live-streamed on the World Wide Web. Therefore, we consider your child/ren coming forward for the Children s Message as parental permission to publicly share their image.) Pre-service Music Welcome and Announcements Opening Hymn 8:00 a.m., Hymn, 332: Savior of the Nations, Come vv. 1-2, :30 a.m., Choral Anthem: O Little Town (The Glory of Christmas) Invocation Pastor: In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Response: Amen. Lighting of the Fourth Advent Candle Pastor: On this Fourth Sunday in Advent we light the candle of Love. Isaiah wrote, I will recount the steadfast love of the Lord, the praises of the Lord, according to all that the Lord has granted us, and the great goodness to the house of Israel that he has granted them according to his compassion, according to the abundance of his steadfast love. (Isaiah 63:7) (The Fourth Advent Candle is lit.) Response: In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. (1 John 4:9) Page - 2 -

4 Confession and Absolution (based on Psalm 80, ESV) Pastor: Restore us, O God; Response: Let your face shine, that we may be saved! Pastor: Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock. Response: You who are enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth. Pastor: Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh, Response: Stir up your might and come to save us! Pastor: If You, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand? Response: But with you there is forgiveness; therefore you are feared. Pastor: Since we are gathered to hear God s Word and call upon Him in prayer and praise, let us first consider our unworthiness and confess before God and one another that we have sinned in thought, word, and deed, and that we cannot free ourselves from our sinful condition. Together as His people let us take refuge in the infinite mercy of God, our heavenly Father, seeking His grace for the sake of Christ, and saying: God be merciful to me a sinner. Response: Almighty God, in accord with your steadfast love and your covenant of grace, have mercy upon us, forgive us our sins, dwell in our hearts, and lead us to everlasting life. Amen. Pastor: Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Response: Amen. Pastor: Restore us, O God; Response: Let your face shine, that we may be saved! Response Hymn, 338: Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus Prayer of the Day Page - 3 -

5 Old Testament Reading: Micah 5:2-5a Pastor: This is the Word of the Lord. Response: Thanks be to God. Epistle Reading: Hebrews 10:5-10 Pastor: This is the Word of the Lord. Response: Thanks be to God. Gospel Reading: Luke 1:39-45 Pastor: This is the Gospel of the Lord. Response: Praise to you, O Christ! Apostles Creed I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth. And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. Children s Message Offering Hymn of the Day, 357: O Come, O Come, Emmanuel vv. 1-4 Sermon: A God Christmas Luke 1:39-45 Pastor Hardaway Page - 4 -

6 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 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. Benediction Pastor: Response: Amen. The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace. Closing Hymn 8:00 a.m., Choral Anthem: O Little Town (The Glory of Christmas) 10:30 a.m., Hymn, 357: O Come, O Come, Emmanuel vv. 5-7 Post-service Music Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Liturgy (or the appropriate portion thereof) from Lutheran Service Book 2001 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission. License # Page - 5 -

7 MEETING AND ACTIVITY NOTICES FOR THE WEEK OF DECEMBER 23-30, 2018 SUNDAY, DECEMBER 23 Deadline to Sign-up for Youth Trip to Six Flags (Youth Room) MONDAY, DECEMBER 24 Church Office Closed 6:30 p.m.: Children s Christmas Eve Program 10:30 p.m.: Candlelight Communion Worship TUESDAY, DECEMBER 25 Church Office Closed 9:00 a.m.: Christmas Day Worship WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 26 Church Office Closed THURSDAY, DECEMBER 27 9:00 a.m.: Prepare Newsletter to be Mailed (Conference Room) FRIDAY, DECEMBER 28 11:30 a.m.: Circuit 412 Youth Six Flags Trip SATURDAY, DECEMBER 29 SUNDAY, DECEMBER 30 8:00 a.m.: Worship 9:00 a.m.: Blood Drive (Carter Blood Care Bus in parking lot) 9:15 a.m.: Fellowship Hour (Family Center) 10:30 a.m.: Worship SCRIPTURE READINGS FOR THE WEEK: Sunday: Ecclesiastes 7 Monday: Ecclesiastes 8 Tuesday: Ecclesiastes 9 Wednesday: Ecclesiastes 10 Thursday: Ecclesiastes 11 Friday: Ecclesiastes 12 Saturday: Song of Solomon 1-2 Page - 6 -