Ebenezer Lutheran Church Port Hudson The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod 9100 Highway YY Leslie, Missouri Parsonage 573-459-6432 Church 573-459-6431 Rev. William F. Zastrow, Pastor Mary Sprick, Secretary ebenezerlutheran@hotmail.com FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT Celebrating the Beauty of Christmas December 19 & 20, 2009 THE DIVINE SERVICE based on page 15 TLH Opening Hymn Savior of the Nations Come LW 13 Pastor: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Cong: Amen. The Confession of Sins Pastor: Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness. Our Help is in the name of the Lord. Cong: Who made heaven and earth. Pastor: I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord.
Cong: And Thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Cong: O almighty God, merciful Father, I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess to you all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended you and justly deserved your punishment now and forever. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray you of your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor sinful being. Pastor: Upon this your confession I, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God to all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ, I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit Cong: Amen. Psalm of the Day - Psalm 80:1-7 Pastor: Hear us, O Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock; you who sit enthroned between the cherubim, shine forth before Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh. Congregation: Awaken your might; come and save us. Pastor: Restore us, O God; make your face shine upon us, that we may be saved.
Congregation: O LORD God Almighty, how long will your anger smolder against the prayers of your people? Pastor: You have fed them with the bread of tears; you have made them drink tears by the bowlful. Congregation: You have made us a source of contention to our neighbors, and our enemies mock us. Pastor: Restore us, O God Almighty; make your face shine upon us, that we may be saved. Gloria Patri (Sung) ALL: Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. The Kyrie (Sung) Lord have mercy upon us, Christ have mercy upon us, Lord have mercy upon us. HYMN: My Soul Now Magnifies the Lord LW 211 (sung to Puer Nobis, TLH 63) Collect of The Day Pastor: The Lord be with you.
Congregation: And also with you! Pastor: Stir up Your power, O Lord, and come and help us by Your might, that the sins which weigh us down may be quickly lifted by Your grace and mercy; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit. Cong. Amen. OLD TESTAMENT READING Micah 5:2 5a (The prophecy of Jesus birth in Bethlehem) Gradual Hymn (TLH 62) 1. Oh, come, Oh, come, Emmanuel, And ransom captive Israel That mourns in lonely exile here Until the Son of God appear. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel. 2. Oh, come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free Thine own from Satan's tyranny; From depths of hell Thy people save And give them victory o'er the grave. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel. 3. Oh, come, Thou Dayspring from on high, And cheer us by Thy drawing nigh; Disperse the gloomy clouds of night And death's dark shadows put to flight.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel. 4. Oh, come, Thou Key of David, come And open wide our heavenly home: Make safe the way that leads on high And close the path to misery. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel. EPISTLE Hebrews 10:5 10 (I have come to do your will, O God) THE ALLELUIA RESPONSE (spoken on Saturday) Cong: Alleluia. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel. Alleluia CHOIR Joy to the Word ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE GOSPEL Pastor: The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke the first Chapter. Cong: Glory be to Thee, O Lord. HOLY GOSPEL Luke 1:39-45 ("Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! ) Pastor: This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Cong: Praise be to Thee, O Christ. THE NICENE CREED I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father; by whom all things were made; who for us men, and for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary, and was made man, and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate; He suffered and was buried; and the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures; and ascended into heaven, and sits on the right hand of the Father; and He shall come again with glory to judge the living and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end. And I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son; who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified; who spoke by the Prophets. And I believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church. I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins; and I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen. HYMN OF THE DAY Gentle Mary, Laid Her Child LW 57
Sermon The Offering & Offertory Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me, Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation and uphold me with Thy free spirit. Amen. THE PRAYERS Pastor THE SERVICE OF HOLY COMMUNION Pastor: The Lord be with You Cong: And with thy spirit. Pastor: Lift up your hearts. Cong: We lift them to the Lord. Pastor: Let us give thanks unto the Lord, our God. Cong: It is meet and right so to do. Pastor: It is truly meet, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to Thee, O Lord, holy Father, almighty, everlasting God therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Thy glorious name, evermore praising Thee and saying:
The Sanctus (Sung) Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Sabaoth; Heav n and earth are full of Thy glory; Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna, in the highest. Blessed is He, Blessed is He, Blessed is He That cometh in the name of the Lord. Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna, in the highest. The Lord s Prayer Pastor: 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 forgive us; And lead us not into temptation; But deliver us from evil. Cong: For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen. The Word s of Institution Pastor: Our Lord Jesus Christ, the same night in which He was betrayed, took bread; and when He had given thanks, He brake it and gave it to His disciples, saying, Take, eat; this is My body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me. After the same manner also He took the cup when He had supped, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; this cup is the new testament in
My blood, which is shed for you for the remission of sins. This do, as oft as Ye drink it, in remembrance of Me. Pastor: The peace of the Lord be with you alway! Cong: Amen. The Agnus Dei (Sung) O Christ, Thou Lamb of God, that takest away the sin of the world, have mercy upon us. O Christ, Thou Lamb of God, that takest away the sin of the world, have mercy upon us. O Christ, Thou Lamb of God, that takest away the sin of the world, grant us Your peace. Amen. The Distribution Hymns: 246, 242, 239 The Nunc Dimittis (Sung) Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace according to Your word, For mine eyes have seen Thy Salvation: which Thou has prepared before the face of all people, A Light to lighten the Gentiles and the Glory of Thy people Israel. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. Pastor: O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good. Cong: And His mercy endureth forever.
Pastor: We give thanks to Thee, Almighty God, that Thou hast refreshed us through this salutary gift; and we beseech Thee that of Thy mercy Thou wouldst strengthen us through the same in faith toward Thee and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Cong: Amen. Pastor: The Lord be with You. Cong: And with Thy spirit. Pastor: Bless we the Lord. Cong: Thanks be to God. THE BENEDICTION Pastor The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you; The Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Cong: Amen, Amen, Amen. CLOSING HYMN The King Shall Come LW 26
OUR MISSION AND MINISTRY IN OUR PRAYERS: We pray that the Lord would grant better health to our members, shut-ins, and friends of Ebenezer, especially Elda Vohs, who is in New Haven Care Center, Esther Voelker, who is still experiencing heart problems and weakness; Delores Roehrs, the mother of Richard Meyer, who has been moved to a rehabilitation center at St. John s in Creve Coeur, Ruth Markes, Leonard Brune, Harvey Schroeder, Mildred Mann, Ray and Irene Bargen, Darleen McDaris, Edna Deppermann, Allen Gerdes and all those we hold dear in our hearts. We ask God to bless the many agencies of the Lutheran Church that minister to the deaf, the blind, and those with special needs, for our Missouri Synod, District and Circuit officials and the Missionaries serving around the world, especially Robin McCoy, John Strasen, and Mike and Cindy Rodewald. We ask the Lord s Blessings to be upon all our government officials and we pray for the safety of all our law enforcement people, EMT s, firemen, and our men and women serving in the Armed Forces protecting our freedom, especially Josh Bade, grandson of Albert and Marilyn Bade, who will be deployed to Afganistan in several months. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
We welcome all our guests that are worshiping here with us today. We ask that you please sign the guest register near the Church entrance with your name, address, and your Church affiliation. We hope you will join us in worship here at Ebenezer again soon! Baptism: The Baptism of Eva Marie Wettling will be this Sunday afternoon at 1:00 PM here at our Church. The parents are Joshua Edward Wettling and Marie Nicole Hoemann. Eva was born July 28, 2009 at St. John s Mercy Hospital in Washington. Sponsors are David Hoemann, Jr. and Amber Taylor. IMPORTANT DATES FOR CHRISTMAS AT Ebenezer Lutheran Church (For any updates check our web page at ebenezerlutheranchurch.wordpress.com) *Sunday, December 20 th Christmas Caroling 2:00 PM *Children s Christmas Eve Program, Thursday, December 24 th at 7:00 PM *Candlelight Christmas Eve Service, Thursday, December 24 th at 11:00 PM *Christmas Day Service with Holy Communion, Friday, December 25, 10:00 AM *New Year s Day Service, Friday, January 1, 10:00 AM Please consider joining the choir members who will be going Christmas Caroling this afternoon at 2:00 PM. A light lunch will be served at the Church after the caroling!
Children s Christmas Eve Service The Sunday School children will be presenting the Christmas Eve worship entitled Messengers for the Messiah. The service will begin at 7:00 PM. We will have a Candlelight service with Holy Communion beginning at 11:00 PM. Laura Nichols will be our guest organist and we will have soloists and hymns sung by a duet. We will also have a violinist. Our Christmas Day worship will begin at 10:00 AM with special music. Holy Communion will also be celebrated at our Christmas Day service. Camcorder needed We are in need of another camera to record services for our shut-ins and the web site. If you have replaced an old one and would like to donate it, please contact Roland Walkenhorst at accu@fidnet.com or 573-459-6702. Gift Idea There are still 2 Lutheran Study Bibles left from our order. If you would like to purchase a Bible, the cost is still $35.00 each. See Pastor or Mary if you would like to purchase a Study Bible. A Washington Circuit Epiphany Service will be held January 6, 2010 at 7:00 PM at Immanuel in Washington. The guest preacher will be Rev. Dr. Thomas Zahnder, Executive Director of LCMS World Mission. A Circuit-wide choir will sing and a reception will follow the Epiphany service.
Ebenezer Lutheran Church is now online at ebenezerlutheranchurch.wordpress.com The last Advent service and bulletins are now on line. Under Links for Living we have posted two new programs. The Lutheran Hour can be heard at any time by going to the link posted under Links for Living. Pastor Ken Klaus is the Lutheran Hour speaker and is very inspirational. We have also linked Sing for Joy a powerful musical program based on the readings for the week. It comes from St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota. They use the best choir music from around the world. Again, go to our web page and go to the Links for Living section and click on Sing for Joy. Our thanks to Roland Walkenhorst for setting up this website. If you have any questions or suggestions, please contact Roland. Please take a moment to pick up your 2010 Contribution Envelopes from the table near the Church entrance.
Those Serving Today Organist Saturday Jennifer Huellinghoff Organist Sunday Ruth Marschel Head Usher Saturday Tracey Bade Head Usher Sunday Lawrence Pelster and Wilbert Baumann Altar Guild Judy Hubenthal and Wanda Gilbert Choir Director Kathy Scheer Acolytes Scheduled to Serve Corey Adams, Alyssa Bopp and Jeff Hohlt. Our measure of love in giving last week in worship: Weekly envelopes $1,247.00; Plate $273.00; Sunday School $35.26; Advent offering $5.00; New Year s Eve offering $1.00. Total $1,561.26 Attendance Saturday 10; Sunday 90. Attendance at Sunday School 17 Children; 24 Adults. Advent Worship envelopes $199.00; Plate $5.00. Total $204.00. Attendance 10 AM worship 8; evening worship 36. This Week at Ebenezer Lutheran Church Wednesday Confirmation 6:30 PM Thursday Children s Christmas Program 7:00 PM Candlelight Service with Holy Communion 11:00 PM Friday Christmas Day worship with Holy Communion 10:00 AM Saturday Worship 3:00 PM