First Sunday in Advent

Transcription

1 First Sunday in Advent December 2 nd & 3 rd, th and Georgia Avenue -- Norfolk, Nebraska Saturday Worship... 6:30 PM Sunday Worship... 9:00 AM Holy Communion on 1st and 3rd Weekends of the Month Radio Service (94.7 FM) Sunday... 9:00 AM T.V. Services Cable Channel 12: (English) Wednesday...9:00 AM (Spanish) Thursday... 2:00 PM

2 Welcome to Worship at St. Paul s! It is our privilege to have you here with us today! We are especially delighted to welcome all our guests who are with us. May the Holy Spirit bless your worship and fill your heart with peace, joy, and faith in your Savior Jesus Christ. Please introduce yourself, sign our guest book in the entryway, and worship with us again soon! Restroom and nursery facilities (with a video link) are located across from the west (drive-up) entrance. If you have any questions about our congregation's ministries or facilities, please do not hesitate to ask one of our Elders. If you are looking for a church home or have questions about what we believe and teach, please speak to our Pastors. Theme of the Day: Christ Is Coming to Destroy and Save Holy Communion will be celebrated in our service today for the blessings of forgiveness of sins and strengthening of faith, which we receive in Jesus true body and blood miraculously joined to the bread and wine. In order to preserve our spiritual unity (1 Corinthians 10:17) and protect against anyone s spiritual harm (1 Corinthians 11:27-29), our congregation and synod follow the historic Christian practice of Close Communion. Confirmed members of St. Paul s and those in fellowship with our Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod are invited to celebrate the Lord s Supper with us. Visitors are asked to speak to our Pastors or one of our Elders before the service if you wish to commune. All those communing are asked to announce their intentions to commune on the Lord s Supper registry in the church entryway. Materials for worship and communion preparations can be found on pages and 156 in the front part of the hymnal. The Lord bless our celebration of his Supper! 2

3 The Service Setting II (Sunday) K-4 Anthem: The King of Glory Comes The Opening Hymn: #1, The Advent of Our King The Invocation Please stand. M: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. 1 C: Amen. The Confession of Sins M: If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. C: If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. M: Let us confess our sins to the Lord. C: Holy God, gracious Father, I am sinful by nature and have sinned against you in my thoughts, words, and actions. I have not loved you with my whole heart; I have not loved others as I should. I deserve your punishment both now and forever. But Jesus, my Savior, paid for my sins with his holy life and innocent death. Trusting in him, I pray: God, have mercy on me, a sinner. Silence for meditation and reflection. 2 1 The Service begins with the words and sign of baptism ( Receive the sign of the cross ) to remind worshipers that we approach the Lord as his baptized children. 2 Here we confess our sins against God and one another and seek the Lord s mercy and forgiveness. The Service encourages silent confession during a short pause following the confessional prayer. 3

4 M: Our gracious Father in heaven has been merciful to us. He sent his only Son, Jesus Christ, who gave his life as the atoning sacrifice for the sins of the whole world. Therefore, as a called 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: Amen. Lord, Have Mercy 3 M: In peace, let us pray to the Lord. M: For the peace from above and for our salvation, let us pray to the Lord. M: For the peace of the whole world, for the well-being of the Church of God, and for the unity of all, let us pray to the Lord. M: For this holy house and for all who offer here their worship and praise, let us pray to the Lord. M: Help, save, comfort, and defend us, gracious Lord. 3 Having received the gift of the Lord s forgiveness, we now make our requests on the basis of his mercy. This form of Lord, Have Mercy (Kyrie) addresses Christ as Lord in each of the petitions. 4

5 Glory to God in the Highest 4 4 This ancient song of the church gets its name from its first few words in Latin: Gloria in Excelsis Deo! Glory to God in the highest! First sung by the angel choir on the night Jesus was born (Luke 2:14), Martin Luther once said, This ancient song did not grow, nor was it made, but it came from heaven. This song has been used in Christian churches for 1500 years. 5

6 The Prayer of the Day M: The Lord be with you. C: And also with you. 5 M: Let us pray. Stir up your power, O Lord, and come. Protect us by your strength and save us from the threatening dangers of our sins; for you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. C: Amen. Please be seated. 5 This salutation dates from the 2 nd century AD and marks the beginning of the Word and Sacrament sections of the service. When we gather together to worship our Savior-God, the Lord is truly with each of us in faith and in the Means of Grace, just as he promised: For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them (Matthew 18:20). 6

7 The Word of God 6 The First Lesson: Genesis 6:1-3, 5-14, The flood came to destroy the sinful world and save Noah s family. 1 When men began to increase in number on the earth and daughters were born to them, 2 the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose. 3 Then the Lord said, My Spirit will not contend with man forever, for he is mortal; his days will be a hundred and twenty years. 5 The Lord saw how great man s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. 6 The Lord was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. 7 So the Lord said, I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth men and animals, and creatures that move along the ground, and birds of the air for I am grieved that I have made them. 8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord. 9 This is the account of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God. 10 Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth. 11 Now the earth was corrupt in God s sight and was full of violence. 12 God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways. 13 So God said to Noah, I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth. 14 So make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out. 17 I am going to bring floodwaters on the earth to destroy all life under the heavens, every creature that has the breath of life in it. Everything on earth will perish. 18 But I will establish my covenant with you, and you will enter the ark you and your sons and your wife and your sons wives with you. 19 You are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you. 20 Two of every kind of bird, of every kind of animal and of every kind of creature that moves along the ground will come to you to be kept alive. 21 You are to take every kind of food that is to be eaten and store it away as food for you and for them. 22 Noah did everything just as God commanded him. 6 The reading of God s Word is the highlight of the worship service, of vital importance for our life and our relationship with God because faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ (Romans 10:17). 7

8 M: The Word of the Lord. C: Thanks be to God! 7 The Psalm of the Day: Psalm 24, p. 73 in the front of Christian Worship Congregation speaks verses responsively with Pastor; Congregation sings refrain. The earth is the LORD S, and everything in it,* the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it upon the seas* and established it upon the waters. Who may ascend the hill of the LORD?* Who may stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart,* he will receive blessing from God his Savior. Refrain Lift up your heads, O you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors,* that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory?* The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors,* that the King of glory may come in. 7 This way of concluding Scripture readings is common throughout Christendom and provides a simple, interactive way for worshipers to express gratitude for the Word they have just heard. 8

9 Who is he, this King of glory?* The LORD Almighty he is the King of glory. Glory be to the Father and to the Son* and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning,* is now, and will be forever. Amen. Refrain The Second Lesson: 1 Peter 3:18-22 Noah s flood prefigured Holy Baptism, which destroys what is sinful in us and saves our souls for new life with Christ. 18 For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit, 19 through whom also he went and preached to the spirits in prison 20 who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, 21 and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at God s right hand with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him. M: The Word of the Lord. C: Thanks be to God! The Gospel Acclamation: Matthew 24: Please stand. Alleluia! In the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. Alleluia! 8 After the Second Reading, we prepare to hear the words and works of Jesus by standing to sing Alleluia praise the Lord. We continue to stand as we hear the Gospel. 9

10 The Gospel Lesson: Mark 13:32-37 Christ is coming to destroy and save, so how should we prepare? With sincere repentance, eager anticipation, and active faith. 32 No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33 Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. 34 It s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with his assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch. 35 Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. 36 If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. 37 What I say to you, I say to everyone: Watch! M: The Gospel of the Lord. C: Praise be to you, O Christ! Please be seated. 10

11 The Hymn of the Day: #2, Savior of the Nations, Come The Sermon: 1 Peter 3:18-22 What s the Worst They Can Do? Following the Sermon, please stand. The Nicene Creed 9 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, was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary, and became fully human. 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, who in unity with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets. We believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen. Please be seated. 9 Having heard the Word of God in readings and sermon, we respond with words of faith: What we have heard, we believe. 11

12 The Prayer of the Church 10 M: Eternal Father, throughout the centuries you repeated and affirmed your promise to send the offspring of the woman to crush the serpent s head. Through your prophets of old, you continually directed the eyes of your people to the advent of their Savior. C: We praise you, O Lord, for keeping your promise and sending your Son to destroy the works of the devil. M: As we prepare to celebrate the birth of our King, use your mighty Word to shatter our pride and to rouse us from spiritual slumber and apathy. C: Move us to take to heart the words of John: Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near. M: You sent your Son to redeem us from sin. Let this good news be our joy and strength. Use it to cheer the lonely, encourage the fearful, and give hope to the despairing. In these days before Christmas, spare us from the stress of deadlines and the frenzy of commercialism. C: Fill our lives with the message of your peace and the music of your grace. M: Direct our eyes not only to the manger but also to the skies, where we will see your Son coming again, not as a lowly child but as the Lord of lords. C: Lift up our hearts in joyful anticipation of that day. Also in our prayers today: - Carlie and Ethan Preister, who this week had a healthy baby girl, Parker Jo Annemarie. M: Hear us, Lord, as we bring you our private petitions. Silent prayer. M: Come quickly, Lord Jesus, in your grace, in your power, and in your glory. C: Come, Lord Jesus! Amen. 10 We are seated as we pray for family and friends and people all over the world. 12

13 The Offering The members of St. Paul s Lutheran Church give offerings to show love and thanks to God for doing so much for them, as well as to support the Lord's work here in Norfolk and around the world. If you are a visitor, please don t feel obligated to contribute; but if you would like, you are welcome to do so. Scan this code to give a digital donation! The Sacrament of Holy Communion 11 Please stand. Preface M: The Lord be with you. C: And also with you. M: Lift up your hearts. C: We lift them up to the Lord. M: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. C: It is right to give him thanks and praise. M: It is truly good and right that we should at all times and in all places give you thanks, O Lord, holy Father, almighty and everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, whose way John the Baptist prepared when he called people to repentance and pointed to Jesus as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Therefore, with all the saints on earth and hosts of heaven, we praise your holy name and join their glorious song: 11 Along with the Word of God section, the Sacrament is the high point in our worship service because here God is at work for us, giving us his greatest spiritual gifts of forgiveness, new life, and eternal salvation. The words of the Preface mark the beginning of the Holy Communion section of the service and lift the worshipers hearts in praise. The opening sentences are among the oldest in the Christian liturgy, dating from the second century AD. 13

14 Holy, Holy, Holy Prayer of Thanksgiving 12 M: Blessed are you, Lord God, eternal King and gracious Father. In love you made us the crown of your creation. In mercy you planned our salvation. In grace you sent your Son to redeem us from sin. We remember and give you thanks that your eternal Son, Jesus Christ, became flesh and made his dwelling among us, that he willingly placed himself under law 12 An ancient part of Christian worship, this prayer helps us recall the saving acts of God and the blessings of the Sacrament. We give thanks and praise to God as we recall what Jesus did to save us. 14

15 to redeem those under law, that he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death on a cross, that he has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. Bless us as we receive your Son s body and blood in this Sacrament. Forgive our sins, increase our faith, strengthen our fellowship, and deepen our longing for the day when Christ will welcome us to his eternal feast. Praise and thanks and honor and glory be to you, O God our Father, and to your Son and to the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. C: Amen. The Lord s Prayer 13 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 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. Words of Institution 14 M: Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night he was betrayed, took bread; and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, Take and eat; this is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me. Then he took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink from it, all of you; this is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for you for the forgiveness of sins. Do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me. The peace of the Lord be with you always. C: Amen. 13 In The Service, the Lord s Prayer is prayed immediately following the Prayer of Thanksgiving. This is the place the Lord s Prayer customarily has occupied in the liturgy. 14 As he speaks the Words of Institution, the minister both proclaims the words of Christ to the congregation and sets apart the bread and wine for the Lord s use. The sign of the cross reminds us of Jesus sacrificial death for our sake. 15

16 Lamb of God Please be seated. The Distribution 15 Following the Distribution, please stand. 15 At St. Paul s Lutheran Church, we believe that in the Lord s Supper we receive the true body and blood of our Lord in, with, and under the bread and wine. This teaching of God s Word is commonly referred to as the doctrine of Real Presence. By Christ s own Word and by declaration of solid Scripture (Matthew 26:26, 28; 1 Corinthians 10:16, 11:27), we believe his true body and blood are really present in the sacrament; we receive Christ s body and blood with the bread and wine all four elements together; and Christ s body and blood are present under the bread and wine in a miraculous way, rather than in a way that we can see, sense, or detect locally. 16

17 M: Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. C: His mercy endures forever. M: Whenever we eat this bread and drink this cup, C: we proclaim the Lord s death until he comes. M: Let us pray. We give you thanks, O Lord, for the foretaste of the heavenly banquet you have given us in this sacrament. Through this gift you have fed our faith, nourished our hope, and strengthened our love. By your Spirit help us to live as your holy people until that day when you will receive us as your guests at the wedding supper of the Lamb, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. C: Amen. The Lord s Blessing 16 M: The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you. The Lord look on you with favor and give you peace. C: Amen. Please be seated. The Closing Hymn: #5, As Angels Joyed with One Accord 16 The Blessing of Aaron has been spoken over God s people for nearly 3500 years. When pastors give this blessing, the Lord promises, So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them (Numbers 6:22-27). The congregation expresses their trust and confidence in the Triune God by responding with a threefold, Amen, which comes from the Hebrew for Yes, it shall be so! 17

18 Psalm Refrain Tune: Richard Proulx GIA Publications, Inc., Chicago, IL, All rights reserved. Used by permission. The Prayer of the Church: 1993 Northwestern Publishing House. Reprinted by permission. Scripture is taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Liturgist: Pastor Paul Hirsch Organist: Mrs. Shannon Spreeman Serving the Lord Radio Broadcaster(s): Gary Lingenfelter & John Schlomer Television Broadcast Technician: Darol Dusseau On Duty This Week: Elder: Ron Kraemer Joel Wiedeman Greeters: Saturday 6:30 p.m. Sunday 9:00 a.m. Dennis & Barb Brandt Brett & Kristin Bauer Sermon: Pastor Mark Reichert On Duty Next Week: Leonard Janovec & Kathy Uecker Matt & Kim Bachman & Reese Ushers: Gary Jackson & Curt Dinkel Barry Nichols & Brian Sweigard Technology: Zach Sweigard Noah Doescher Worshipping the Lord Last Week s Attendance: Saturday 6:30 PM 78; Sunday 9:00 AM 167; Total = 245 Thanksgiving Eve :15 AM Bible Class - 47; Wed. Bible Class 14; Sunday School 15 Worship Visitors: 44 Growing through the Word, going with the Word... Together by grace alone. Sunday School at 10:15 AM (during school year) Adult Bible Studies Sundays at 8:00 & 10:15 AM 18

19 Special Holiday Event Schedule Christmas Song Night 6:30 PM, Wed., December 6 th Christmas for Kids 9:00-12:00 AM, Sat., December 9 th School Children Christmas Services 4:30 PM and 6:30 PM, Sat., December 23 rd Sunday Morning Service High School / College 9:00 AM, Sun., December 24 th Christmas Eve Candlelight Service 6:30 PM, Sun., December 24 th Christmas Day Song Service 9:00 AM, Mon., December 25 th New Year s Eve Service (with the Lord s Supper) 6:30 PM, Sun., December 31 st There WILL be regular Saturday/Sunday services the weekend of the 30 th -31 st. St Paul's Weekly Giving to the Lord General Fund, November 25 th & 26 th Yearly Need YTD Need YTD Offerings YTD Need vs Offerings Last Week Received Weekly Need Difference $355, $150, $139, $11, $5, $6, $1,

20 Our Week with Christ Sun., 12/3 Mon. Tues. - 8:00 AM Adult Bible Study (Jesus Is Better) - 9:00 AM Worship Service with Holy Communion (K-4 sing) - 10:00 AM Coffee / 10:15 AM Adult Bible Study (Acts) - 10:15 AM Sunday School - 7:30 PM Worship Service at Immanuel Lutheran, Hadar (in school) - 7:00 PM Elders, Trustees, & Board of Christian Education Meetings Wed. - 9:00 AM Worship Service Broadcast on Local Cable 12-10:00 AM Bible Class (Schliewe) - NOON School Dismissal - 6:30 PM Christmas Song Night Thurs. Sat. - NOON Ladies Aid Christmas Party & Covered Dish Luncheon - 2:00 PM Spanish Worship Service Broadcast on Local Cable 12-9:00 AM to 12:00 Christmas For Kids (Preschool 5 th Grade) - 6:30 PM Worship Service Organist: Mrs. Shannon Spreeman Sun., 12/10-8:00 AM Adult Bible Study (Jesus Is Better) - 9:00 AM Worship Service (Praise Choir sings) - 10:00 AM Coffee / 10:15 AM Adult Bible Study (Acts) - 10:15 AM Sunday School ============================================================================== Pastor Mark Reichert (Office: , Cell: ) mark.d.reichert@gmail.com Pastor Paul Hirsch (Office: , Cell: ) pahirschki@gmail.com Mike Paulsen, Principal (Office: , Cell: ) mikepaulsen@stpls.com Jeanette Leuthold, Secretary (Office: ) stpls.office@gmail.com St. Paul s Web Site: Synod Web Site: ============================================================================== Church Cleaning Teams: Weeks of Dec. 3 & Dec. 10 Team 1 (Chad & Alicia Moyer, Kathy Uecker, Bill & Sue Ulrich) Weeks of Dec. 17 & Dec. 24 Team 2 (Darol Dusseau, Mike & Linda Mullen, Sarah Nelson, Joel & Kathy Wiedeman) 20

21 Announcements 1) Blood Drive St. Paul s will be hosting a blood drive on Monday, December 11 th from 2:00-7:00 PM. A sign-up sheet can be found at the Communication Center in the church entryway. Online sign-up is available at 2) Volunteers needed for Christmas for Kids! St. Paul s is looking ahead toward Christmas for Kids. This year the event will be Saturday, December 9 th from 9:00 AM-12:00 PM at our school gym. If you d like to sign up your child(ren), you can do so at To make this event a success again, we need volunteers to help with registration, supervise groups, help with craft projects, serve lunch, make homemade Christmas goodies, and much more. If this is something you could help with or donate toward, please sign-up at the church Communication Center or contact Kim Bachman ( ). Thanks! 3) Thank You! We would like to thank St. Paul s members for your prayers, words of comfort and encouragement, culinary skills, time and talents for our Mom s funeral. She will be missed by many but she rests now in the arms of Our Savior, Jesus. God s Blessings to all. -- The Family of Barb Deitloff 4) Adult Indoor Volleyball at St. Paul s Come join us on Sunday afternoons from 4:00-6:00 PM at St. Paul s gym for Adult volleyball. We will play every Sunday until the end of December. Come for fun and fellowship! Everyone can play. If you don t care to play, we will have the bleachers out for spectators. We are a pretty entertaining bunch. Any questions, please feel free to contact Jessi Sherman at ) The Service Feedback This weekend we will conclude our field test of our new hymnal s liturgy, The Service. We will have feedback forms available at the church Communication Center. If you d like to offer respectful, constructive feedback, you are welcome to take one and return it to Pastor Reichert the following weekend. Thanks! 21

22 6) Items for Giveaway There are several items on the table in the entryway for giveaway. Please feel free to take anything you might want. The items will only be available this week. 7) Congregational Tree This year the large tree in the front of the entryway will be a congregational tree. We are encouraging every member, including our children, to bring one favorite Christmas ornament and hang it on the tree. We re not looking for Santas or reindeer, but bulbs, crosses, nativities, or anything else that s personally meaningful to you and your family would be great so that together we can share stories and Christmas joy. We will have labels for you to attach with your name so it will be returned to you after Christmas. Thanks! 8) Men s Group Will Meet on December 16 th Due to Christmas for Kids next weekend, Men s Group will be postponed until December 16 th. We will meet that morning for breakfast, fellowship, and Bible study, and our service project will be helping Toys for Tots sort toys for needy children. 9) December 24 th Morning Service Please note! There will be a 9:00 AM Sunday morning service on December 24 th. Mark it on the church calendar that has already been distributed to you. LADIES The St. Paul s Ladies Aid group will be having their annual Christmas Party & Covered Dish Luncheon on Thursday, Dec. 7 th at 12:00 noon. Roll Call will be to answer What was your favorite Christmas gift? Every member is to bring a guest. School children will entertain & Christmas carols will be sung. In place of a gift exchange, a $5 donation can be made to Missions. Hostesses & Entertainment will be Carol Wachter, Linda Jensen, & JoAnn Grebe. All ladies of the congregation are invited to attend. 22