December 12th and 13th, 2015

Third Sunday of Advent

Holy Communion (ELW 5)

THE ORDER OF WORSHIP

PRELUDE

Chorale Prelude on People, Look East

Wells

CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS

INTRODUCTION
The presence of the Lord in your midst in the wonder of the holy supper
is cause for singing. The nearness of the Lord in prayer, in every
circumstance, is cause for rejoicing. The coming of one more powerful
than John, even with his winnowing fork in his hand, is good newsand
cause for exultationfor us who are being saved. Great joy is the tone for
the third Sunday of Advent.
CHILDREN are always welcome to our Worship Service. Rainbow bags
and a cry room are available. A staffed nursery is also available if needed.
An usher will gladly provide you with assistance.
As a worship courtesy, we ask that you please turn off or set to vibrate
all cellular telephones and pagers during the worship service.
We ask that all present today please fill out the Attendance and Communion
registration card found in your bulletin and place it in the offering plate so
that we may record your presence with us.
PRAYER UPON ENTERING THE PEW
Almighty God, by your gracious providence your servant John the Baptist
was born to Elizabeth and Zechariah. Grant to your people the wisdom to
see your purpose and the openness to do your will, that the light of Christ
may shine through us. We pray this in the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior
and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now
and forever. Amen.

All may stand and make the sign of the cross, the sign with which we are
marked at baptism, as the presiding minister begins.
In the name of the Father, and of the (+) Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Almighty God, to whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from
whom no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the
inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you and worthily
magnify your holy name, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
But if we confess our sins, God who is faithful and just will forgive our sins
and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Let us confess our sin in the presence of God and of one another.
Please kneel, silence is kept for reflection.
Most merciful God,
we confess that we are captive to sin and cannot free ourselves. We
have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have
done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our
whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. For the
sake of your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us,
and lead us, so that we may delight in your will and walk in your ways,
to the glory of your holy name. Amen.
In the mercy of almighty God, Jesus Christ was given to die for us, and for
his sake God forgives us all our sins. As a called and ordained minister of
the church of Christ, and by his authority, I therefore declare to you the
entire forgiveness of all your sins, in the name of the Father, and of the +
Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.

Almighty God grant unto us the grace and comfort of the Holy Spirit,
reconciliation with God, true repentance, and time for the amendment of
life.
Amen.
Please stand and sing:
GATHERING SONG: People, Look East (ELW 248)
GREETING
Behold, now is the acceptable time. Now is the day of salvation. The grace
of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy
Spirit be with you all.
And also with you.
KYRIE

LIGHTING THE ADVENT WREATH AND

MESSAGE

CHILDRENS

We praise you, O God, for this victory wreath that marks our days of
preparation for Christs advent. As we light the candles on this wreath,
strengthen our hearts as we await the Lords coming in glory. Enlighten us
with your grace, that we may serve our neighbors in need. Grant this
through Christ our Lord, whose coming is certain and whose day draws
near.
Amen.
CONGREGATIONAL SONG: O Come, O Come, Emmanuel, vv. 1, 4,
and 5 (ELW 257)

PRAYER OF THE DAY

when I restore your fortunes

before your eyes, says the LORD.

Stir up the wills of your faithful people, Lord God, and open our ears to the
preaching of John, that, rejoicing in your salvation, we may bring forth the
fruits of repentance; through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives
and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen.
Please be seated.

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.
PSALMODY : Isaiah 12:2-6
Refrain:

FIRST READING: Zephaniah 3:14-20

14Sing aloud, O daughter Zion;
shout, O Israel!
Rejoice and exult with all your heart,
O daughter Jerusalem!
15The LORD has taken away the judgments against you,
he has turned away your enemies.
The king of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst;
you shall fear disaster no more.
16On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem:
Do not fear, O Zion;
do not let your hands grow weak.
17The LORD, your God, is in your midst,
a warrior who gives victory;
he will rejoice over you with gladness,
he will renew you in his love;
he will exult over you with loud singing
18as on a day of festival.
I will remove disaster from you,
so that you will not bear reproach for it.
19I will deal with all your oppressors
at that time.
And I will save the lame
and gather the outcast,
and I will change their shame into praise
and renown in all the earth.
20At that time I will bring you home,
at the time when I gather you;
for I will make you renowned and praised
among all the peoples of the earth,

Tone:

Surely God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not | be afraid,

for the LORD GOD is my strength and my might, and has become | my
salvation.
3
With joy you | will draw water
from the wells | of salvation. R
4

And you will say in that day: Give thanks to the LORD, call | on Gods
name;
make known the deeds of the LORD among the nations; proclaim that
this name | is exalted.
5
Sing praises to the LORD, for he has done | gloriously;
let this be known in | all the earth.
6
Shout aloud and sing for joy, O | royal Zion,
for great in your midst is the Holy | One of Israel. R
SECOND READING:
4

Philippians 4:4-7

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. 5Let your gentleness
be known to everyone. The Lord is near. 6Do not worry about anything, but
in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your

requests be made known to God. 7And the peace of God, which surpasses
all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Please stand for the reading of the gospel.

their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, 16John

answered all of them by saying, I baptize you with water; but one who is
more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his
sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17His winnowing
fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into
his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.
18So, with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the
people.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION AND VERSE

The gospel of the Lord!
Praise to you, O Christ!
Please be seated
SERMON Pastor Charles Peterson
Please stand and sing:
Verse: I am sending my messen- | ger before you,*
who will prepare your | way before you. (Matt. 11:10)
GOSPEL: Luke 3:7-18
The holy gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, according to Luke
Glory to you, O Lord!
7

John said to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, You brood
of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8Bear fruits
worthy of repentance. Do not begin to say to yourselves, We have
Abraham as our ancestor; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to
raise up children to Abraham. 9Even now the ax is lying at the root of the
trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and
thrown into the fire.
10And the crowds asked him, What then should we do? 11In reply he
said to them, Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has
none; and whoever has food must do likewise. 12Even tax collectors came
to be baptized, and they asked him, Teacher, what should we do? 13He
said to them, Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you.
14
Soldiers also asked him, And we, what should we do? He said to them,
Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be
satisfied with your wages.
15As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in

HYMN OF THE DAY Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming (ELW 272)
CREED
I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, God's 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 to the dead.
On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, he is seated at
the right hand of the Father, and he will come to judge the living and
the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of
saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life
everlasting. Amen.

PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION
Emmanuel has come, is here, and is coming soon. Let us join in prayer for
the church, the earth, and those who are in need, that all receive what God
promises to give.

Please sit or knee as you are able.

Each petition ends with:
let us pray.
Have mercy, O God.
Receive our prayers, faithful God, as we watch and wait for your coming
among us in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Please stand and greet one another in the peace of the risen Christ.
PEACE
The peace of Christ be with you always.
And also with you.
Please be seated.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
ANTHEM AT THE OFFERING Good News is in the Air
Freu dich sehr Johann Olearius
Comfort, Comfort Now Your People
Please stand and sing:
OFFERTORY HYMN: Create in Me a Clean Heart (ELW 188)
OFFERING PRAYER
God of abundance, you have entrusted us with the precious fruits of your
creation. We return a portion of them to you in thanksgiving, a sign that all
we have, and all we are, and all that there is belongs to you. Give us
patience, hope, and joy in being as good to your world as you have been to
us, until the coming of your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
Amen.

DIALOGUE

EUCHARISTIC PRAYER
Holy One, the beginning and the end, the giver of life:
Blessed are you for the birth of creation.
Blessed are you in the darkness and in the light.
Blessed are you for your promise to your people.
Blessed are you in the prophets hopes and dreams.
Blessed are you for Marys openness to your will.
Blessed are you for your Son Jesus, the Word made flesh.
In the night in which he was betrayed, our Lord Jesus took bread, and gave
thanks; broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying:
Take and eat; this is my body, given for you. Do this for the remembrance
of me.

PREFACE
HOLY, HOLY, HOLY

Again, after supper, he took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it for all to
drink, saying:
This cup is the new covenant in my blood, shed for you and for all people
for the forgiveness of sin. Do this for the remembrance of me.
Let us proclaim the mystery of faith:
Christ has died.
Christ is risen.
Christ will come again.
With this bread and cup we remember your Word dwelling among us, full
of grace and truth. We remember our new birth in his death and
resurrection. We look with hope for his coming.
Come, Lord Jesus.
Holy God, we long for your Spirit. Come among us. Bless this meal. May
your Word take flesh in us. Awaken your people. Fill us with your light.
Bring the gift of peace on earth.
Come, Holy Spirit.
All praise and glory are yours, Holy God through our Lord Jesus Christ, the
Holy One of Israel, the Word of God incarnate, the Power of the Most
High. Through him, with him, in him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all
honor and glory are yours, almighty Father, now and forever.
Amen.

LORD'S PRAYER

COMMUNION

Lord Jesus Christ, for whom all creation waits, remember us in your
kingdom, and teach us to pray:

The body of Christ, given for you.

The blood of Christ, shed for you.
Amen.
LAMB OF GOD

HYMN DURING DISTRIBUTION: It Came upon the Midnight Clear

INVITATION TO COMMUNION
The coming of the Lord Jesus is a consuming fire. All who desire their old
life to pass away and to live a new life in Christ, come with joy to the feast.
Please be seated.
All baptized people are welcome to the table to receive Christs body and
blood. If you have not been baptized, you are also welcome to the table as
Gods guest; we are honored by your presence. We recognize the Body of
Christ as the community of the baptized, so if you would like to become
part of the Body of Christ, we encourage you to seek baptism. If you cant
or dont wish to receive today, we encourage you to hold your hands over
your chest for a blessing as you come forward.

Please stand.
BLESSING
God most high, God with us, God poured out on us, Father, + Son, and
Holy Spirit, bless you now and forever.
SENDING SONG: The King Shall Come (ELW 260)
DISMISSAL

SONG AFTER COMMUNION: Now, Lord (ELW 201)

Go in peace. Bring good news to the poor.

Thanks be to God!
POSTLUDE Le Roi des Cieux Vient de Natre Jean-Franois Dandrieu
The King of Heaven is Newly Born

COMMEMORATIONS FOR THE WEEK

Lucy
Sunday, December 13, 2015
Lucy was a young Christian of Sicily who was martyred during the
persecutions under Emperor Diocletian. Her celebration became
particularly important in Sweden and Norway, perhaps because the feast of
Lucia (whose name means "light") originally fell on the shortest day of the
year.
John of the Cross
Monday, December 14, 2015
John was a member of the Carmelite monastic order, and worked to reform
it. His writings reflect a deep interest in mystical thought and meditation.
Las Posadas (LLC)
Wednesday, December 16, 2015
This celebration, long popular in Mexico, takes its name from the
"posadas," or lodgings, sought by Mary and Joseph in Bethlehem. Their
search is reenacted in a neighborhood, unsuccessfully, until finally they are
welcomed in, and a party commences.