Grace Lutheran Church and School Midweek Advent Service 9 December 2015 The advent of our King our prayers must now employ, and we must hymns of welcome sing in strains of holy joy. The everlasting Son incarnate deigns to be; himself a servant's form puts on to set his servants free. Daughter of Zion, rise to meet thy lowly King, nor let thy faithless heart despise the peace he comes to bring. As Judge, on clouds of light, he soon will come again, and all his scattered saints unite with him in heaven to reign. Before the dawning day let sin's dark deeds be gone; the old man all be put away, the new man all put on. All glory to the Son who comes to set us free, with Father, Spirit, ever One, through all eternity. Pastor: In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit. All: Amen! PThe night is far gone; the day is at hand. C So let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. P Holy and gracious God, C I confess that I have sinned against You this day, O Lord. Some of my sin I know--- the thoughts and words and deeds of which I am ashamed---but some is known only to You. In the name of Jesus Christ I ask for Your forgiveness and I pray You to deliver and restore me, a lost and condemned sinner. P By the mercy of God we are redeemed by Jesus Christ and in Him we are forgiven. As a called and ordained servant of Christ and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. C Amen. P In peace let us pray to the Lord. C Lord, have mercy. P For the peace from above and for our salvation let us pray to the Lord. C Lord, have mercy. P 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. C Lord, have mercy. P For this holy house and for all who offer here their worship and praise let us pray to the Lord. C Lord, have mercy. P Help, save, comfort, and defend us gracious Lord. C Amen O come, O 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! O come, Thou Wisdom from on high, Who ordrest all things mightily; To us the path of knowledge show, And teach us in her ways to go. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel! P The Lord be with you. C And also with you. P Let us pray. Stir up our hearts, O Lord, to make ready the way of Your only-begotten Son, that by His coming we may be enabled to serve You with pure minds; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever C Amen. See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come," says the LORD Almighty. 2 But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner's fire or a launderer's soap. For he will be like a refiner's fire or a launderer's soap.. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the Lord will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness, and the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable to the Lord, as in days gone by, as in former years. So I will come near to you for judgment. I will be quick to testify against sorcerers, adulterers and perjurers, against those who defraud laborers of their wages, who oppress the widows and the fatherless, and deprive aliens of justice, but do not fear me, says the Lord Almighty. I the Lord do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed. Ever since the time of your forefathers you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord Almighty. But you ask, How are we to return? R This is the Word of the Lord. C Thanks be to God. I thank my God every time I remember you. 4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. 7 It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God's grace with me. 8 God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus. 9 And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christto the glory and praise of God. R This is the Word of the Lord. C Thanks be to God. 1 O Lord, how shall I meet You, How welcome You aright? Your people long to greet You, My hope, my heart's delight! O kindle, Lord most holy, Your lamp within my breast To do in spirit lowly All that may please You best. 2 Your Zion strews before You Green boughs and fairest palms; And I too will adore You with joyous songs and psalms. My heart shall bloom forever For You with praises new And from Your name shall never Withhold the honor due. I lay in fetters, groaning; You came to set me free. I stood, my shame bemoaning; You came to honor me. A glorious crown You give me, A treasure safe on high That will not fail or leave me As earthly riches fly. 4 Love caused Your incarnation; Love brought You down to me. Your thirst for my salvation Procured my liberty. Oh, love beyond all telling, that led You to embrace In love, all love excelling, Our lost and fallen race. 5 Sin's debt, that fearful burden, Cannot His love erase; Your guilt the Lord will pardon And cover by His grace He comes, for you procuring The peace of sin forgiv'n, His children thus securing Eternal life in heav'n. 6 He comes to judge the nations, A terror to His foes, a light of consolations and blessd hope to those who love the Lord's appearing. O glorious Sun, now come, Send forth Your beams so cheering, And guide us safely home. In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesarwhen Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the desert. He went into all the Country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 4 As is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: "A voice of one calling in the desert, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him. Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth. 6 And all mankind will see God's salvation.' " 7 John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. 9 The axe is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire." 10 "What should we do then?" the crowd asked John answered, "The man with two tunics should share with him who has none, and the one who has food should do the same." Tax collectors also came to be baptized. "Teacher," they asked, "what should we do?" 13 "Don't collect any more than you are required to," he told them. 14 Then some soldiers asked him, "And what should we do? He replied, "Don't extort money and don't accuse people falselybe content with your pay." P This is the Gospel of the Lord. C Praise to You, O Christ. Once He came in blessing, All our sins redressing; Came in likeness lowly, Son of God most holy; Bore the cross to save us; Hope and freedom gave us. Come, then, O Lord Jesus, From our sins release us. Keep our hearts believing, That we, grace receiving, Ever may confess You Till in heav'n we bless You. WORD REPENTANCE out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham FORGIVENESS Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 2 Cor. 9:7 I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth. And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life + everlasting. Amen. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 2 Cor. 9:7 P Let us pray on behalf of the world, all people as they have need, and the household of the faithful that we may not walk in the darkness of sin and its death but in the light of the Lord; let us pray to the Lord. C Lord, have mercy. P That we may be steadfast in faith during times of test, trial, and tribulation, that Jesus may find us faithful and ready when He comes again; let us pray to the Lord. C Lord, have mercy. P That all who suffer, all the sick, all the sorrowful, and all in need may call upon the Lord and be comforted (especially _____,) that they may trust in God's grace for every trouble and circumstance; let us pray to the Lord. C Lord, have mercy. P That the nations may walk together in peace, that the leaders of the nations may act with integrity, wisdom, and justice for all people; let us pray to the Lord. C Lord, have mercy. P Into Your hands, O Lord, we commend ourselves and all for whom we pray, trusting in Your mercy, through Jesus Christ; C Amen. P 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 in favor and + give you peace. C Amen. The King shall come when morning dawns, And light triumphant breaks; When beauty gilds the eastern hills, And life to joy awakes. The King shall come when morning dawns, And earths dark night is past; O haste the rising of that morn, The day that aye shall last The King shall come when morning dawns, And light and beauty brings: Hail, Christ the Lord! Thy people pray, Come quickly, King of kings.