SERVICE NOTES ADVENT Advent is a Latin word that means coming. The season of Advent is the four week period before Christmas that the Church uses to remember the coming of the Christ. We celebrate that he came once as a baby in Bethlehem, and that he will come again at the end of time. The image on the next page depicts the Annunciation, or the moment when the Angel Gabriel announced to Mary that Jesus would be born of her. Above kneeling Mary, is the dove, a symbol of the Holy Spirit. Gabriel said, The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. May God bless your worship. 1
FAITH LUTHERAN CHURCH A Changeless Message for a Changing World Pastor Jon Schroeder Church Office: 770-253-4007 Home Phone: 770-253-6565 Fax: 770-253-4007 Email: jonathaneschroeder@gmail.com Those who serve: Assistant: Vicar Caleb Bassett Organist: Mary Beth Eckhardt DECEMBER 21, 2008 ADVENT 4 Welcome! Thank you for joining us for worship this morning. In our service we gather before our almighty God to offer him our worship and praise. We also gather to strengthen ourselves through the study of God s holy and powerful word. Please take a moment to sign our guest register in the back of the church. Restrooms are located in the hallway directly opposite the entrance to the sanctuary. Cry-room. If you have need of a cry-room, there is a children s room immediately to the left as you exit the sanctuary. A speaker there allows you to hear the service. Hearing assistance devices are available. Speak to an usher. Large print service folders are available. Speak to an usher. Staffed nursery is available, down the hall to the left. TODAY S THEME: GOD WITH US 2
DIVINE SERVICE II INVOCATION L(eader): In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. C(ongregation): Amen. CONFESSION OF SINS L: Dear friends, let us approach God with a true heart and confess our sins, asking him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to forgive us. C: Lord of life, I confess that I am by nature dead in sin, For faithless worrying and selfish pride, For sins of habit and sins of choice, For the evil I have done and the good I have failed to do, You should cast me away from your presence forever. O Lord, I am sorry for my sins. Forgive me, for Jesus sake. L: Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again. In his great mercy, God made us alive in Christ even when we were dead in our sins. Hear the word of Christ through his called servant: C: Amen. I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. 3
THE GREAT O ANTIPHONS OF ADVENT The Great O Antiphons of Advent have been cherished for centuries by Christian worshipers. Each one consists of a title given to Christ in the Old Testament and a petition asking him to come and fulfill the Scriptural promise or prophecy. An antiphon is a verse that is sung responsively. These Great Antiphons have been sung in Christian Churches since about 500AD. L: Emmanuel 1, our king and our Lord, the anointed of the nations and their Savior, Come and save us, O Lord our God. C: (sings) Oh, come, oh, come, Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel, That mourns in lonely exile here until the Son of God appears. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to you, O Israel! L: O Root of Jesse, standing as an ensign before the peoples, before whom all kings are mute, to whom the nations will do homage; come quickly to deliver us. C: Oh, come, O Root of Jesse's stem, from every foe deliver them That trust your mighty pow'r to save, bring them in victory through the grave. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to you, O Israel! L: O Key of David and scepter of the house of Israel, you open and no one can close; you close and no one can open. Come and rescue the prisoners who are in darkness and the shadow of death. C: Oh, come, O Key of David, come and open wide our heav'nly home; Make safe the way that leads on high and close the path to misery. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to you, O Israel! L: O Dayspring, splendor of light everlasting, come and enlighten those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death. C: Oh, come, O Dayspring from on high and cheer us by your drawing nigh; Disperse the gloomy clouds of night and death's dark shadows put to flight Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to you, O Israel! 1 Emmanuel is a name for Jesus. It is comprised of 3 Hebrew words that mean God with us. Truly, chosen God took on flesh and blood in Bethlehem, God was with us in every way. 4
THE RITE OF HOLY BAPTISM Lily Rebekah Bassett BAPTISMAL HYMN: #737, God s Own Child, I Gladly Say It 5
PRAYER OF THE DAY L: Let us pray. The leader says the Prayer of the Day. C: Amen. THE WORD OF GOD THE CHILDREN S SERMON THE FIRST LESSON: ISAIAH 7:10-14 10 Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz, 11 "Ask the LORD your God for a sign, whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights." 12 But Ahaz said, "I will not ask; I will not put the LORD to the test." 13 Then Isaiah said, "Hear now, you house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of men? Will you try the patience of my God also? 14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. 6
THE LIGHTING OF THE ADVENT WREATH 2 Refrain Choir: A flickering candle sheds its light in hope of dawn s victorious might, and backward scurries cowardly night reminded of the morning. All: Refrain Choir: The dawn of God s redeeming grace lit Bethlehem, that humble place; now radiant beams from Jesus face illumine all creation. All: Refrain 2 The Advent Wreath is a combination of two very common symbols: light and the fir tree. From the early centuries of Christianity it has been the practice to represent Christ by a burning candle. The fir tree has a long history of religious use. No doubt the Advent Wreath was suggested by the Christmas tree. It seems that the Advent Wreath originated a few hundred years ago among the Lutherans of eastern Germany. A wreath of evergreens, made in various sizes, was either suspended from the ceiling or placed on a table. Four candles representing the four Sundays of Advent were fastened to the wreath. Eventually the use of the Advent Wreath became wide spread and moved also from the home into the church. The general symbolism of the Advent Wreath lies in the growing light of the wreath, increasing each week as we approach the birthday of Jesus, the Light of the world. 7
THE SECOND LESSON: ROMANS 16:25-27 25 Now to him who is able to establish you by my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past, 26 but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings by the command of the eternal God, so that all nations might believe and obey him 27 to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen. THE VERSE OF THE DAY 8
THE GOSPEL: L: The Gospel according to Matthew chapter 1. C: Glory be to you, O Lord. 18 This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. 19 Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. 20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel" which means, "God with us." 24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25 But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus. L: This is the Gospel of the Lord. C: Praise be to you, O Christ. 9
THE HYMN OF THE DAY: #24, The Angel Gabriel from Heaven Came THE SERMON: The Faith of the Foster Father THE RESPONSE: The Magnificat 3 The congregation is invited to sing the refrain. Holly Buth, Tiffany Harris Refrain: For he has favored his lowly one, and all shall call me blessed. The Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. Refrain. He favors those who fear his name, in ev ry generation. He has shown the might and strength of his arm, and scattered the proud of heart. Refrain. He has cast the mighty from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with all good gifts, and sent the rich away. Refrain. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering his mercy. Abraham and his children for evermore. Refrain. He promised his mercy to 3 The Magnificat is the song that the Virgin Mary sang in response to Gabriel s announcement that she was to be the mother of the Savior. This song has been sung by the Christian Church since at least 500 A.D. It s name comes from the first words of the song in Latin, Magnificat anima mea Dominum which means My soul glorifies the Lord. 10
THE NICENE CREED 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. THANKSGIVING THE OFFERING: The members of Faith Lutheran Congregation have joined together to do the Lord's work in this community and around the world. Visitors need not feel obligated to participate in this offering which supports our ministry. 11
RECEPTION INTO MEMBERSHIP: Don and Lisaann Pauli; Megan Eberle, Mike Eberle Todd and Kathy Freeman; Carrie, Gracie THE PRAYER OF THE CHURCH: THE LORD S PRAYER: 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. 12
THE SACRAMENT Faith Lutheran Church practices close communion. We ask that only members partake of the Sacrament. L: The Lord be with you. C: And also with you. L: Lift up your hearts. C: We lift them up to the Lord. L: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. C: It is right to give him thanks and praise. L: Praise to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In love he has blessed us with every spiritual blessing. Through his holy prophets, he promised a King to bring light to those living in darkness and in the shadow of death. Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ. To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and thanks and honor and glory forever and ever. 13
THE WORDS OF INSTITUTION: L: 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. C: Amen. 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. 14
THE DISTRIBUTION: THE SONG OF SIMEON 1. O Lord, now let your servant Depart in peace, assured: For I have seen your promised incarnate, saving Word A Light that will enlighten All gloom where Gentiles dwell; The brilliant, crowning glory Of those in Israel! 2. All glory to the Father, All glory to the Son, All glory to the Spirit, Forever three in one; For as in the beginning, Is now, shall ever be, God s triune name resounding Through all eternity. FAREWELL: THE LORD S BLESSING L: 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. + + + The flowers at the altar today were given by the Gibson family. The following items are reprinted under OneLicense.net #A-709467 A Flickering Candle. Text and tune: 2008 Stephen P Folkemer by Birnamwood Publications. All rights reserved. Magnificat. Text and tune: 1980 James J Chepponis by GIA Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. 15
Announcements Christmas Worship Schedule: December 24: 5:00PM Christmas Eve Candlelight Service w/children singing & recitation 7:00PM Christmas Eve Candlelight Service December 25: 10:00AM Christmas Day Worship December 28: 10:30AM Worship Service (There will be No Adult Bible Study or Sunday School on this Sunday) Welcome to guests and visitors! We are glad that you are here, and hope that you will join us again soon. Poinsettias: There is a sign-up sheet on the table in the gathering area for those who would like to purchase poinsettias to beautify the church for Christmas. You can take the poinsettias home with you after the candlelight service on Christmas Eve. 2009 Calendar: The youth group has created a 2009 calendar to be sold to raise money to support one of our synodical schools, Luther Preparatory School. The calendars will be printed during the month of December, so if you would like to purchase one, please place your order after any church service in December. Each calendar costs $3 and 100% goes to the school. Financial Peace classes will be starting in just a few weeks: Thursday January 15th at 6:30 PM. In order to get the class material, payment for the classes should be turned in by Tuesday December 30th. The cost per family (not per person) is $93.00. Checks can be made out to Faith Lutheran Church. For those of you not familiar with the Financial Peace program, here are a few highlights: This is a 13 week course on personal finance. Dave Explains: Investments Insurance Retirement Real Estate College Planning 16 Careers Debt Collectors Credit Reports and More! After leading the class in the fall, I can truly say it is an excellent tool for anyone. The class is open to the public as well. If you have any question, please contact Joan Bjornas at Joan.Bjornas@gmail.com or 770-599-1239. Continued on next page
Upcoming Schedules: Week of Dec 22 Dec 27: Cleaning: Hill Dec 28: Nursery: Johnston Week of Dec 29 Jan 3: Cleaning: Koepke Jan 4: Nursery: Pickett 17