Unto Us AChild Is Born A SERIES OF SPECIAL SERVICES FOR ADVENT. Don Neidigk SAMPLE XBNU

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1 om C r m ea t u Sa n iv e i m ca pl ti e on s Unto Us AChild Is Born A SERIES OF SPECIAL SERVICES FOR ADVENT C Don Neidigk SAMPLE XBNU

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3 Unto Us A Child Is Born A SERIES OF SPECIAL SERVICES FOR ADVENT Index About Unto Us a Child Is Born... 4 Introduction... 5 Service One: Great Light Service Two: Wonderful Counselor Service Three: Everlasting Father Christmas Eve: Prince of Peace Christmas Day: One of Us Music Guide By Don Neidigk. Cover image: istockphoto.com 2013 by for the Parish, 1564 Fencorp Dr., Fenton, MO creativecommunications.com. All rights reserved. Printed in the USA. A Series of Special Services for Advent sample 3

4 Unto Us A Child Is Born A SERIES OF SPECIAL SERVICES FOR ADVENT About This Series This five-part series on CD-ROM for Advent and Christmas Eve/Day is new this year. The services in the series are based on Isaiah 9:1-7 and the names of the Messiah found there: Great Light, Wonderful Counselor, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace (Christmas Eve), and One of Us (Christmas Day). All of the sermons in the series are monolog sermons. Hymns include Oh, Come, All Ye Faithful, A Great And Mighty Wonder, Hark The Herald Angels Sing, What Child Is This and Hail to the Lord s Anointed. The CD-ROM includes a PDF of prayers, 5 monolog sermons, children s sermons and music as well as the text files of the entire kit in.rtf (rich text format) with a copyright release and a PowerPoint document with text for use on screens. 4 Unto Us a Child Is Born sample

5 Unto Us A Child Is Born A SERIES OF SPECIAL SERVICES FOR ADVENT Introduction Isaiah 9: 1-7 is the wellspring for these Advent and Christmas worship resources. These resources present the prophesied Messianic King as the Great Light, the Wonderful Child, Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. Sermons are organized in a familiar manner with an introduction, thesis, and supporting points. They are intended to be informative, doctrinal, devotional and occasionally humorous. May your use of these materials edify you and your congregation and move you to rejoice in the coming of the Wonderful Child, our Savior! Donald H. Neidigk, author A Series of Special Services for Advent sample 5

6 Unto Us A Child Is Born A SERIES OF SPECIAL SERVICES FOR ADVENT Service Two: Wonderful Counselor Complete Script For Worship Leaders The Opening Hymn is sung by the congregation to the tune Es Ist Ein Ros and refrain: A great and mighty wonder, a full and holy cure: The virgin bears the Infant with virgin honor pure! Repeat the hymn again: To God on high be glory And peace on earth to men! The Word becomes incarnate and yet remains on high, And cherubim sing anthems to shepherds from the sky. Repeat the hymn again: To God on high be glory And peace on earth to men! While thus they sing your Monarch, those bright angelic bands, Rejoice, ye vales and mountains, ye oceans, clap your hands. Repeat the hymn again: To God on high be glory And peace on earth to men! 6 Unto Us a Child Is Born sample

7 Since all he comes to ransom, by all be he adored, The Infant born in Bethl em, the Savior and the Lord. Repeat the hymn again: To God on high be glory And peace on earth to men! The Invocation is read responsively by the pastor and the congregation: P In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit, C Amen. The Lighting of the Advent Wreath is read responsively by the pastor and the congregation: P The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined. C Jesus said, I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. (Two purple or blue candles are lit.) P You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. The Confession and Absolution is read responsively by the pastor and the congregation: P Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. C For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, I will confess my transgressions to the Lord, and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. (Silence for reflection and prayer) P Let us then confess our sins to our forgiving Lord. C I have sinned against you, O Lord, in ways I know and in ways I don t know. My thoughts, words and actions have not always been holy, kind and good. I have left undone things you require of me. I have been unmoved by the suffering of oth- A Series of Special Services for Advent sample 7

8 ers, neither offering to help nor praying with and for them. I have justified my sins though I am without excuse. God, be merciful to me, a sinner. Forgive me for the sake of the bitter sufferings and death of your Son, Jesus Christ. P Our Lord Jesus Christ proclaims to us in the Gospel, If you forgive the sins of anyone, they are forgiven; if you withhold forgiveness from anyone, it is withheld. On the basis of his Word, I, a called pastor of Christ s church, forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. C Amen. The Psalm of the Day, Psalm 96:1-10, is read responsively by the pastor and the congregation: P Oh sing to the Lord a new song; C sing to the Lord, all the earth! P Sing to the Lord, bless his name; C tell of his salvation from day to day. P Declare his glory among the nations, C his marvelous works among all the peoples! P For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; C he is to be feared above all gods. P For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols, C but the Lord made the heavens. P Splendor and majesty are before him; C strength and beauty are in his sanctuary. P Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples, C ascribe to the Lord glory and strength! P Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; C bring an offering, and come into his courts! P Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness; C tremble before him, all the earth! P Say among the nations, The Lord reigns! C Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved; he will judge the peoples with equity. The Prayer of the Day is read by the pastor: P Holy God, your Son Jesus Christ is the Wonderful Counselor. By your Spirit, enable us by faith to see this divine mystery to the praise of your glorious name. This we pray in the name of Jesus, ever one God with you and the Holy Spirit. Amen. 8 Unto Us a Child Is Born sample

9 The Old Testament Reading, Isaiah 9:6-7, is read by the pastor: P For unto us a child is born, unto 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. 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. The Gospel Reading, Matthew 1:18-23, is read by the pastor: P Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel (which means, God with us). The Children s Sermon is delivered by the pastor or other worship leader: Items needed: Toothpicks, a coin and/or a Crazy 8 Ball. P Hello, everyone! Tonight we learn that Jesus, the Wonderful Child whose birth we celebrate at Christmas is the Wonderful Counselor. Who can tell me what a counselor is? (Let children answer.) Yes, a counselor is someone who guides us and gives us advice. Let s suppose you have an important decision to make. You don t know what to do. Maybe you re trying to decide whether to take something that s not yours. How would you know whether you should do that or not? (Let children answer.) Yes, you could ask a friend what he thinks. Maybe you could toss a coin; heads you do it, tails you don t. (Demonstrate.) Or you could draw toothpicks. You need two for this. A friend breaks one, and keeps the other one whole. Then he holds them in way that hides which one is the longest. You pull one out (demonstrate). If it s short, you don t do it. If it s long, you do. Or we could use a Crazy Eight Ball. It looks like a black pool ball. You ask it a question, turn it over, and it gives you an answer like Yes, No, or Could be. It s not really very helpful in deciding what to do or what s right or wrong. A Series of Special Services for Advent sample 9

10 Toothpicks and coins don t have a sense of right and wrong, either. But Jesus can help us. Jesus is the Wonderful Counselor who guides us through his Word. His Word tells us what is right and what is wrong. What does God s Word say about stealing? (Let someone answer.) Yes, it says You shall not steal. That is Jesus talking to us. That is his counsel. But what if we have already stolen? What if we didn t listen to the wise counsel of Jesus? Jesus is still the Wonderful Counselor. His greatest, most wonderful counsel is the good news of his cross. The good news of the cross is that Jesus died for our sins. When we are sorry for our sins and trust that Jesus died to save us from sin, God forgives us and makes us clean and righteous. That s the most important way Jesus is our Wonderful Counselor. Thank you, Jesus for being my Wonderful Counselor. Through your Word you show me right from wrong. Through your cross, you forgive my sins and make me righteous. Give me your Holy Spirit that I might always seek your counsel in your word and follow it. In your name I pray. Amen. The Sermon Hymn is sung by the congregation to the tune Carol CM D: It came upon the midnight clear, That glorious song of old, From angels bending near the earth, To touch their harps of gold; Peace on the earth, good will to men, From heaven s all gracious King. The world in solemn stillness lay, To hear the angels sing. Still through the cloven skies they come With peaceful wings unfurled, And still their heavenly music floats O er all the weary world; Above its sad and lowly plains, They bend on hovering wing, And ever over its Babel sounds The blessèd angels sing. 10 Unto Us a Child Is Born sample

11 Yet with the woes of sin and strife The world has suffered long; Beneath the angel strain have rolled Two thousand years of wrong; And man, at war with man, hears not The love-song which they bring; O hush the noise, ye men of strife And hear the angels sing. And ye, beneath life s crushing load, Whose forms are bending low, Who toil along the climbing way With painful steps and slow, Look now! for glad and golden hours Come swiftly on the wing. O rest beside the weary road, And hear the angels sing! For lo! the days are hastening on, By prophets long foretold, When with the ever circling years Comes round the age of gold; When peace shall over all the earth Its ancient splendors fling, And the whole world send back the song Which now the angels sing. The Sermon is delivered by the pastor: P A newspaper reported a very sad story. A three-year-old girl is in the hospital recovering from a severe beating she received from her mother s live-in boyfriend. The perpetrator is now in jail on a $100,000 cash bond. We hope and pray that the little girl will recover. We hear stories like this all the time. Why s this one different? What s different is that the mother and her boyfriend are counselors who met at a behavioral health facility for children and their families. We grieve for the little girl. But we re totally mystified at the behavior of the two counselors. How could a counselor for children and families beat a three year old half to A Series of Special Services for Advent sample 11

12 death? And just as puzzling is why the mother would invite this man to move in with her and let him watch her four children while she worked, especially, since according to the paper, he was fired as a counselor? These two people are counselors? How can they be family counselors when their own lives are so completely messed up? When we really need a counselor, where can we turn? Where can we find a counselor who will not lead us in the wrong direction? Where can we find a counselor who will truly help us? We find that counselor in the Wonderful Child whose birth we celebrate at Christmas. Our Wonderful Counselor is Jesus! What makes Jesus our Wonderful Counselor? There are two reasons. First, Jesus is our wonderful counselor because of who he is, the all-powerful Son of God. All of Isaiah s descriptions of the Wonderful Child to be born identify him as a divine person who will be king. People in every era expect their ruler to be powerful and to use his power for the benefit of his people. The reality, however, is that ordinary rulers, despite all the hopes of their people, seldom fill the bill. Kings and presidents promise much but are notorious for delivering little. But not this Wonderful Child! He s the Wonderful Counselor because we are expressly told in the next phrase he is the Mighty God. But we wouldn t even need that additional title identifying him as God because that is assumed in the title Wonderful Counselor. Wonderful is from the Hebrew word pele referring to one who works wonders, that is, miracles. The Angel of the LORD, whom orthodox Christians believe to be the pre-incarnate Christ, identifies himself as Wonderful. Perhaps you remember the Old Testament story of the birth of Samson. It is the Angel of the LORD who appears to Samson s barren mother and announces that she will have a child. That s often the way it is in the Bible. A divine messenger announces the birth of a key person in the story of redemption. The Angel of the LORD announces the birth of Isaac to Abraham and Sarah. He announces the birth of Samson to his mother and to Manoan, Samson s father. The angel Gabriel announces the birth of Jesus to Mary and Joseph. But in the case of Isaac and Samson s birth, it s not an ordinary angel, if there is such a thing. It s the Angel of the LORD. It is God himself in visible form. After Manoah hears the Angel of the LORD s announcement that Samson is to be born, Manoah asks his name. Why do you ask my name, he replies, for it is Wonderful (Judges 13:17-18). 12 Unto Us a Child Is Born sample

13 Wonderful, the name of the God of Wonders. The wonder here is the birth of Samson to a childless, barren mother. Manoah understands that this encounter with the Angel of the LORD is an encounter with God himself. We shall surely die, Manoah tells his wife, for we have seen God. The God of Wonders, that s who this Wonderful Child is! That s what s clear in the New Testament even among those who do not believe in him as the divine king promised by Isaiah. On Palm Sunday Jesus enters Jerusalem and is greeted with shouts of Hosanna to the Son of David, or, Save us, Lord, Son of David. Jesus goes to the temple. He drives out the money changers, restoring the House of God to its original purpose. My house shall be called a house of prayer, he proclaims. The temple is not the merchants house, nor even the priests house, it is my house, says Jesus. It is the house of God. The blind and the lame come to Jesus in the temple and we re told he healed them. The unbelieving priests and scribes convict themselves when the Bible tells us they saw the wonderful things that he did but still they did not believe in him. Those miracles, seen even by the unbelieving priests, identify Jesus as the God of Wonders, the Wonderful Counselor (Matthew 21:12-15). And second, Jesus is the Wonderful Counselor because of what he does as the all powerful Son of God. Note that Wonderful is only half of this divine title. He is also Counselor, from the Hebrew yaats. That means Jesus is wise with the wisdom of God himself whose divine nature he fully shares. In Isaiah 28:29 we re told that he is the LORD of hosts... wonderful in counsel and excellent in wisdom. The broader context is God s wise plan for dealing with Israel and Jerusalem his stubborn, sinful people as well as his plan for dealing with the sinful pagan nations surrounding them. Israel and Jerusalem are going into exile at the hands of their neighbors as punishment for sin. But those same neighbors will also be destroyed for their sin, unbelief and arrogance. God in his mighty power and great wisdom will fulfill all that he has planned. For the LORD of hosts has purposed, and who will annul it? His hand is stretched out, and who will turn it back? (Isaiah 14:27). But God is not just a God of judgment and wrath. His wise plan also includes his gracious provision of a Savior, the Wonderful Counselor. Ordinary counselors typically give advice and direction. Maybe they even help a client develop some rules for healthy and happy living. But the special, unique wisdom of this Wonderful Counselor is not found in giving advice and more rules. We have plenty of rules in the Law of God given to Moses. The special, unique wisdom of the Wonderful Counselor is the message of the cross. The message of the cross is that the Wonderful Counselor died to free us from sin and guilt and bring us back to God. A Series of Special Services for Advent sample 13

14 Tune... Go Tell It & # Refrain: 1 c 1? # 6 & # 6? # 11 & # c.. w j 11? #.... j.. er e:.. # w 14 Unto Us a Child Is Born sample

15 The Closing Hymn is sung by the congregation to the tune Go Tell It : Over the hills and everywhere That Jesus Christ is born. While shepherds kept their watching O er silent flocks by night Behold throughout the heavens There shone a holy light. Over the hills and everywhere That Jesus Christ is born. The shepherds feared and trembled, When lo! above the earth, Rang out the angels chorus That hailed the Savior s birth. Over the hills and everywhere That Jesus Christ is born. Down in a lowly manger The humble Christ was born And God sent us salvation That blessèd Christmas morn. Over the hills and everywhere That Jesus Christ is born. A Series of Special Services for Advent sample 15

Creative. Communications. Sample

Creative. Communications. Sample WORSHIP KIT GS8 Index Notes/Ordering Information...5 Newsletter/Bulletin Notices...6 Order of Service... 7-10 Complete Script For Worship Leaders... 11-22 Scripture Readings...23-24 Children s Message...25