St. Mark Lutheran Church and School 3930 S. 19th Street, Lincoln, NE 68502 www.stmarklincoln.org School website www.stmarkles.org 402-423-1497 Pastor Teachers Joel Vogel Jeremiah Drews (6-8, Principal) Cell (402) 238-5213 Cell (402) 480-1940 Administrative Assistant Jocelyn Vogel (2-5) Carolyn Schwede Cell (740) 350-3260 Office (402) 423-1497 Stephanie Peitsmeyer (K-1) Cell (614) 935-2190 This Week at St. Mark Monday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday - Worship Service 7:00 pm - Bible Class Lexington Assisted Living Center 3:30 pm - Catechism 5:30 pm - Advent Service 7:00 pm - Bible Class 6:30 am - Snow Removal for Sunday Paul Dinges - Children s Christmas Practice 9-10:30 am - Church Cleaning: Sec. 1Taylor Sec. 2 Schroeder Sec. 3 S. Stamps Reach, Teach, Rejoice! 11
Gathering Joy 10:30 Choir Advent Hymn GATHERING RITE ON THE WORD OF GOD M: In the name of the Father and of the Son (+) and of the Holy Spirit. M: In this Advent season, we gather around the Word of God to anticipate the birth and the return of Jesus Christ, the Word who became flesh and lived among us. Let us hear God's call to repentance in his Word, confess our sins, and find peace in the forgiveness that Christ's advent brings and his Word proclaims. Elfi Lee St. Mark News and Notes Ken Holm Please remember in your prayers Shirley Zacherson Serving in God s House today... Elders: Tyson Martin, Curt Jamison Ushers: Rainer Gartzke, Dwayne Burianek (E) Rich Beltz, Jeff Schmidt (L) Greeters: Noel & Elfi Lee (E) Ashley Hussman (L) Pianist: Jocelyn Vogel Birthdays Katie Flood 12/10, Ali Nelson 12/10, Jazzmyn Boucher 12/10, Dan Dorn 12/11, Tyson Wathor 12/13, Marsha Gerlach 12/15, Aaron Remmers 12/15 Building Addition Fund: If you would like to give specifically to the new building addition, please write Building Addition Fund on the envelope to be sure that the money is allocated correctly. Put the envelope in the offering plate. M: Oh, how I love your law! C: I meditate on it all day long. M: Your commands make me wiser than my enemies, C: for they are ever with me. M: I have more insight than all my teachers, C: for I meditate on your statutes. M: How sweet are your words to my taste, C: sweeter than honey to my mouth! (Psalm 119:97-99,103) Poinsettias The Ladies Aid will be purchasing Christmas poinsettias for the church altar. If you wish to give a donation toward the purchase of the poinsettias to help cover the cost, please make your check out to Elfi Lee and put your donation in Amy Gartzke s or Karen Dinges s mailbox. Thank you! Forward in Christ It is time once again to renew our bulk subscription for the Forward in Christ magazine. We need 12 people to sign up for a one year subscription for the cost to be $11.50. If we don t have 12 or more the price is $17.99 for the year. 2
M: All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, C: so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16,17) M: Yet so often we have despised God s Word and failed to gladly hear and learn it. For this and all our sins, we bow before God and humbly ask his forgiveness. 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 your punishment both now and in eternity. But I am truly sorry for my sins, and trusting in my Savior Jesus Christ, I pray: Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner. 10 3
M: God gave his Word so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name (John 20:31). The Scriptures testify about Jesus, who lived a perfect life for you, died on the cross to pay for all your sins, and rose again to assure you of your salvation. 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. THE BLESSING M: Brothers and sisters, go in peace. Live in harmony with one another. Serve the Lord with gladness. 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. HYMN: 10:30 CW 12 Hark the Glad Sound! The Savior Comes 8:00 Choir Advent Hymn Ev ning has come in shadows of gray, And the winter wind blows bitter and cold. All of the world in silence awaits The child the prophets have foretold. Let us now prepare our hearts to receive him, Filled with hope and free from hear. Soon he will come to all who believe. The true Messiah will soon appear. PRAYER OF THE DAY M: Let us pray. Hear our prayers, Lord Jesus Christ, and come with the good news of your mighty deliverance. Drive the darkness from our hearts and fill us with your light; for you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Come, thou long expected Jesus born to set thy people free. Through the pow r of love redeem us, Let us find our rest in Thee. Born thy people to deliver, born a child and yet a King. Born to reign in us forever; now thy gracious kingdom bring He will come to guide and teach us, sent to earth from heav n above. Come thou long expected Jesus, warm our hearts with peace, and with love. THE WORD FIRST LESSON Malachi 4:1-6 M: The Word of the Lord. C: Thanks be to God. 4 9
C: I believe in Jesus Christ, God the Son, who came to earth to live the perfect life that I could not. I know that he was the complete sacrifice for my sin. He died so that I might live. He rose from the grave victorious over sin and death, guaranteeing that all my sins are forgiven. He left this earth visibly, went up into heaven and now rules with all power and authority because he is God and his work on this earth is finished. He will come again one day as Judge, to finally defeat his enemies and to bring believers to live with him forever in heaven. I believe in God the Holy Spirit, who has brought me to faith and made me God s child and an heir of eternal life. Now he pleads to the Father on my behalf, strengthens me when I am spiritually weak and empowers me for service to my loving Savior, Jesus. All this he does through God s Word and sacraments. God s Word points me to my need for a Savior, and to his saving love for me. I believe the Bible is the true Word of God which teaches and guides me to live for him and love my neighbor because of all the things my God has done for me. Amen. CLOSING DIALOGUE M: We leave God s house strengthened once again to worship him throughout the week until we meet here again. Through faith in Jesus the Holy Spirit has prepared your heart for Christ s coming. Now live for him, awaiting his coming at Bethlehem and his coming again on the clouds of heaven. C: So we recommit ourselves to our mission: We are dedicated... to REACH all the world with the Gospel of Jesus. to TEACH all according to His saving Word, and to REJOICE in the salvation that Christ has won for us all. HYMN: CWS 703 (bulletin pg. 10) My Soul in Stillness Waits SECOND LESSON 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24 M: The Word of the Lord. C: Thanks be to God. LIGHTING OF THE ADVENT WREATH As the Acolyte comes forward to light the candles the congregation sings the following hymn verse to the tune of Away In A Manger. This world sits in darkness, Nor cares for the light, In sin we were wandering, And cold was the night. Let all who ve discovered The light of God s face Repent, be delivered By God s saving grace. M: We light two Advent candles remembering Jesus who came in history. He came into a world of sin and death. C: We remember Jesus who came as the promised Messiah. John the Baptist prepared the way of the Lord. M: We hear his call to repent. C: We light two Advent candles as a sign of our repentance and desire for renewal. M: Come, Lord Jesus, be our guest. C: Through your Word and Spirit may our souls be blessed. GOSPEL John 1:6-8,19-28 M: The Gospel for this morning is taken from John, chapter one. C: Glory be to you, O Lord! 8 5
M: The Gospel of the Lord. C: Praise be to you, O Christ! HYMN: CW 14 SERMON Arise, O Christian People M: For those who are ill, those recovering and those who are homebound who cannot be with us, that they find comfort, healing, patience and the sure knowledge that Jesus will never leave them or forsake them, let us pray to the Lord: OFFERING PRAYER OF THE CHURCH M: In peace, let us pray to the Lord: Brief silence M: For the Church on earth, that her members would rejoice always in their salvation, pray without ceasing and bear witness about the light of the world that is Jesus Christ, let us pray to the Lord: M: For those who are preparing to serve the Church as pastors, teachers, staff ministers and directors of Christian education, that they would be diligent in their studies, faithful to their callings and a blessing to those they will come to serve, let us pray to the Lord: M: For those that God has appointed to civic leadership, that they would govern wisely, administer justice fairly and not abuse the authority that has been granted them, let us pray to the Lord: M: For those traveling this season to celebrate the Nativity with family and friends, that they reach their destinations safely, that their time with loved ones be joyful, and that they return home without incident, let us pray to the Lord: M: For those who are hungry, homeless, unemployed or find themselves in any kind of need, that they find food, shelter and employment and come to know and confess God as the giver of daily bread, let us pray to the Lord: 6 M: For those who mourn, that they find comfort in the promise of the resurrection from the dead and the hope of reunion with those they love who have died in the faith, let us pray to the Lord: Special prayers and intercessions may follow. M: Hear us, Lord, as we bring you our private petitions. Silent prayer. M: All these things, O Lord, we pray, knowing that You, in Your fatherly wisdom and care, will grant us what is good and right for us and for our salvation. THE LORD S PRAYER M: O Lord, remember us in your kingdom, and teach us to pray: 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. HYMN: CW 15 CONFESSION OF FAITH Hark! A Thrilling Voice Is Sounding C: I believe in the one true God, who reveals himself as three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. He created everything that exists out of nothing in six days. He sustains and provides for his created world. 7