Sunday, December 2, 2018: First Sunday of Advent

Transcription

1 Sunday, December 2, 2018: First Sunday of Advent Jeremiah 33:14-16 Psalm 25: Thessalonians 3:9-13 A READING FROM JEREMIAH 14 The days are surely coming, says the LORD, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. 15 In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David; and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. 16 In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. And this is the name by which it will be called: The LORD is our righteousness. (If the Psalm is sung by the choir, you will not be required to lead the Psalm. Check the day s worship bulletin to confirm one way or the other) PLEASE JOIN ME IN READING THE 25 th PSALM IN UNISON 1 To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul. 2 My God, I put my trust in you; let me not be put to shame, nor let my enemies triumph over me. 3 Let none who look to you be put to shame; rather let those be put to shame who are treacherous. 4 Show me your ways, O LORD, and teach me your paths. 5 Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; in you have I trusted all the day long. 6 Remember, O LORD, your compassion and love, for they are from everlasting. 7 Remember not the sins of my youth and my transgressions; remember me according to your steadfast love and for the sake of your goodness, O LORD. 8 You are gracious and upright, O LORD; therefore you teach sinners in your way. 9 You lead the lowly in justice and teach the lowly your way. 10 All your paths, O LORD, are steadfast love and faithfulness to those who keep your covenant and your testimonies.

2 A READING FROM 1ST THESSALONIANS 9 How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy that we feel before our God because of you? 10 Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you face to face and restore whatever is lacking in your faith. 11 Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus direct our way to you. 12 And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we abound in love for you. 13 And may he so strengthen your hearts in holiness that you may be blameless before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.

3 Sunday, December 9, 2018: Second Sunday of Advent First Reading: Malachi 3:1-4 Psalm: Luke 1:68-79 Second Reading: Philippians 1:3-11 A READING FROM MALACHI 1 See, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple. The messenger of the covenant in whom you delight indeed, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts. 2 But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner s fire and like fullers soap; 3 he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the descendants of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, until they present offerings to the LORD in righteousness. 4 Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the LORD as in the days of old and as in former years. (If the Psalm is sung by the choir, you will not be required to lead the Psalm. Check the day s worship bulletin to confirm one way or the other) PLEASE JOIN ME IN READING FROM THE 1 ST CHAPTER OF LUKE IN UNISON 68 Blessed are you, Lord, the God of Israel, you have come to your people and set them free. 69 You have raised up for us a mighty Savior, born of the house of your servant David. 70 Through your holy prophets, you promised of old to save us from our enemies, 71 from the hands of all who hate us, 72 to show mercy to our forebears, and to remember your holy covenant. 73 This was the oath you swore to our father Abraham: 74 to set us free from the hands of our enemies, free to worship you without fear, 75 holy and righteous before you, all the days of our life. 76 And you, child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare the way, 77 to give God s people knowledge of salvation

4 by the forgiveness of their sins. 78 In the tender compassion of our God the dawn from on high shall break upon us, 79 to shine on those who dwell in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide our feet into the way of peace. A READING FROM PHILIPPIANS 3 I thank my God every time I remember you, 4 constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you, 5 because of your sharing in the gospel from the first day until now. 6 I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ. 7 It is right for me to think this way about all of you, because you hold me in your heart, for all of you share in God s grace with me, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. 8 For God is my witness, how I long for all of you with the compassion of Christ Jesus. 9 And this is my prayer, that your love may overflow more and more with knowledge and full insight 10 to help you to determine what is best, so that in the day of Christ you may be pure and blameless, 11 having produced the harvest of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God.

5 Sunday, December 16, 2018: Third Sunday of Advent First Reading: Zephaniah 3:14-20 Psalm: Isaiah 12:2-6 Second Reading: Philippians 4:4-7 A READING FROM ZEPHANIAH 14 Sing aloud, O daughter Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem! 15 The LORD has taken away the judgments against you, he has turned away your enemies. The king of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst; you shall fear disaster no more. 16 On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: Do not fear, O Zion; do not let your hands grow weak. 17 The LORD, your God, is in your midst, a warrior who gives victory; he will rejoice over you with gladness, he will renew you in his love; he will exult over you with loud singing 18 as on a day of festival. I will remove disaster from you, so that you will not bear reproach for it. 19 I will deal with all your oppressors at that time. And I will save the lame and gather the outcast, and I will change their shame into praise and renown in all the earth. 20 At that time I will bring you home, at the time when I gather you; for I will make you renowned and praised among all the peoples of the earth, when I restore your fortunes before your eyes, says the LORD.

6 (If the Psalm is sung by the choir, you will not be required to lead the Psalm. Check the day s worship bulletin to confirm one way or the other) PLEASE JOIN ME IN READING FROM THE 12 th CHAPTER OF ISAIAH IN UNISON 2 Surely God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid, for the LORD GOD is my strength and my might, and has become my salvation. 3 With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. 4 And you will say in that day: Give thanks to the LORD, call on God s name; make known the deeds of the LORD among the nations; proclaim that this name is exalted. 5 Sing praises to the LORD, for he has done gloriously; let this be known in all the earth. 6 Shout aloud and sing for joy, O royal Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel. A READING FROM PHILIPPIANS 4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. 5 Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. 6 Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

7 Sunday, December 23, 2018: Fourth Sunday of Advent First Reading: Micah 5:2-5a Psalm: Luke 1:46b-55 Second Reading: Hebrews 10:5-10 A READING FROM MICAH 2 But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah, who are one of the little clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to rule in Israel, whose origin is from of old, from ancient days. 3 Therefore he shall give them up until the time when she who is in labor has brought forth; then the rest of his kindred shall return to the people of Israel. 4 And he shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God. And they shall live secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth; 5a and he shall be the one of peace. (If the Psalm is sung by the choir, you will not be required to lead the Psalm. Check the day s worship bulletin to confirm one way or the other) PLEASE JOIN ME IN READING FROM THE 1 ST CHAPTER OF LUKE IN UNISON 46b My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, 47 my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48 for you, Lord, have looked with favor on your lowly servant. From this day all generations will call me blessed: 49 you, the Almighty, have done great things for me and holy is your name. 50 You have mercy on those who fear you, from generation to generation. 51 You have shown strength with your arm and scattered the proud in their conceit,

8 52 casting down the mighty from their thrones and lifting up the lowly. 53 You have filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away empty. 54 You have come to the aid of your servant Israel, to remember the promise of mercy, 55 the promise made to our forbears, to Abraham and his children forever. A READING FROM HEBREWS 5 Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said, Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body you have prepared for me; 6 in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure. 7 Then I said, See, God, I have come to do your will, O God (in the scroll of the book it is written of me). 8 When he said above, You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings (these are offered according to the law), 9 then he added, See, I have come to do your will. He abolishes the first in order to establish the second. 10 And it is by God s will that we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

9 Monday, December 24, 2018: Nativity of Our Lord, Christmas Eve First Reading: Isaiah 9:2-7 Second Reading: Titus 2:11-14 A READING FROM ISAIAH 2 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness on them light has shined. 3 You have multiplied the nation, you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as people exult when dividing plunder. 4 For the yoke of their burden, and the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian. 5 For all the boots of the tramping warriors and all the garments rolled in blood shall be burned as fuel for the fire. 6 For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 His authority shall grow continually, and there shall be endless peace for the throne of David and his kingdom. He will establish and uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time onward and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.

10 A READING FROM TITUS 11 The grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all, 12 training us to renounce impiety and worldly passions, and in the present age to live lives that are selfcontrolled, 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 all iniquity and purify for himself a people of his own who are zealous for good deeds.

11 Sunday, December 30, 2018: First Sunday of Christmas 1 Samuel 2:18-20, 26 Psalm 148 Colossians 3:12-17 A READING FROM 1 st SAMUEL 18 Samuel was ministering before the LORD, a boy wearing a linen ephod. 19 His mother used to make for him a little robe and take it to him each year, when she went up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice. 20 Then Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, and say, May the LORD repay you with children by this woman for the gift that she made to the LORD ; and then they would return to their home. 26 Now the boy Samuel continued to grow both in stature and in favor with the LORD and with the people. (If the Psalm is sung by the choir, you will not be required to lead the Psalm. Check the day s worship bulletin to confirm one way or the other) PLEASE JOIN ME IN READING THE 148 th PSALM RESPONSIVELY 1 Hallelujah! Praise the LORD from the heavens; praise God in the heights. 2 Praise the LORD, all you angels; sing praise, all you hosts of heaven. 3 Praise the LORD, sun and moon; sing praise, all you shining stars. 4 Praise the LORD, heaven of heavens, and you waters above the heavens. 5 Let them praise the name of the LORD, who commanded, and they were created, 6 who made them stand fast forever and ever, giving them a law that shall not pass away. 7 Praise the LORD from the earth, you sea monsters and all deeps; 8 fire and hail, snow and fog, tempestuous wind, doing God s will; 9 mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars; 10 wild beasts and all cattle, creeping things and flying birds;

12 11 sovereigns of the earth and all peoples, princes and all rulers of the world; 12 young men and maidens, old and young together. 13 Let them praise the name of the LORD, whose name only is exalted, whose splendor is over earth and heaven. 14 The LORD has raised up strength for the people and praise for all faithful servants, the children of Israel, a people who are near the LORD. Hallelujah! A READING FROM COLOSSIANS 12 As God s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. 13 Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.