Advent 3B
December 14, 2014
10:30 am Holy Communion Service
Grace Evangelical Lutheran
Today’s Worship
Participants:
Pastor: Rev. Megan
Rohrer
Music Director: Dorothy
Clazie
Assisting Minister: Laurel
Reader: Sally Ann
Welcome to worship at
Grace!
Welcome to long-time Lutherans, Christians from every tradition, and
people new to faith. Welcome to all who have no church home, want to follow
Christ, have doubts, or do not believe. Welcome to new visitors and old
friends. Welcome to people of every age and size, color and culture, every
sexual orientation and gender identity, socio-economic status, marital status,
ability and challenge. Welcome to believers and questioners, and to questioning
believers. This is a place where you are welcome to celebrate and sorrow,
rejoice and recover. This is a place
where lives are made new.
Welcome to our small community of
faith. While we are small in numbers, we
have big hearts and a desire to grow. In
order to help you follow along, we have included all the materials you need for
worship in this bulletin.
Please join us for worship any Sunday at
10am that you are able. If you cannot
join us in person, you can also join us online via live stream or by watching
the archives of our worship and Bible Study that Doesn’t Suck anytime during
the week at our website (www.gracesf.com), or on our mobile phone app, Bible Study that Doesn’t Suck, is
available on Google Play and ITunes.
If you have any questions about the service
or about Grace, you can fill out the form in pew to let our pastor know you’d
like to chat. Or you can contact Pastor
Megan Rohrer at pastor@gracesf.com.
Prelude:
Greeting: Candles a lit and water is poured into the baptismal font.
The
Grace of Jesus Christ, the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be
with you all. C And
also with you.
Opening Hymn:
Welcome
Prayer of
the Day:
God of love, as we wait for you to be born into this
world once again, help us to be filled with joy, peace and love. Amen.
First Reading: Isaiah:61:1-4, 8-11
61 The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has
anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the
brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the
prisoners; 2to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of
vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; 3to provide for
those who mourn in Zion— to give them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of
gladness instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit.
They will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord,
to display his glory.
4They
shall build up the ancient ruins, they shall raise up the former devastations;
they shall repair the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations. …. 8For
I the Lord love justice, I hate robbery and wrongdoing; I
will faithfully give them their recompense, and I will make an everlasting
covenant with them. 9Their descendants shall be known among the
nations, and their offspring among the peoples; all who see them shall
acknowledge that they are a people whom the Lord has
blessed.
10I
will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my whole being shall
exult in my God; for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation, he has
covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a
garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. 11For as the
earth brings forth its shoots, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to
spring up, so the Lord God will cause righteousness and
praise to spring up before all the nations.
L Word of hope, word of life. Thanks
be to God
Psalm 126 (read responsively)
1When the Lord restored the fortunes
of Zion, we
were like those who dream. 2Then
our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then it
was said among the nations, “The Lord has done great
things for them.”
3The Lord has done great things for us, and we
rejoiced.
4Restore our fortunes, O Lord, like
the watercourses in the Negeb.
5May those who sow in tears reap with shouts of joy.
6Those who go out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing,
shall come home with shouts of joy, carrying their sheaves.
Second Reading: 1 Thessalonians 5:12-28
12But
we appeal to you, brothers and sisters, to respect those who labor among you,
and have charge of you in the Lord and admonish you; 13esteem them
very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. 14And
we urge you, beloved, to admonish the idlers, encourage the faint hearted, help
the weak, be patient with all of them. 15See that none of you repays
evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to all.
16Rejoice
always, 17pray without ceasing, 18give thanks in all
circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 19Do
not quench the Spirit. 20Do not despise the words of prophets, 21but
test everything; hold fast to what is good; 22abstain from every
form of evil.
23May
the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul
and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24The
one who calls you is faithful, and he will do this. 25Beloved, pray
for us. 26Greet all the brothers and sisters with a holy kiss. 27I
solemnly command you by the Lord that this letter be read to all of them. 28The
grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
L Word of hope, word of life. Thanks
be to God
Special
Music: ELW #232 Let My Prayer Rise Up (from Holden Evening Prayer)
Scripture in this service is
adapted from The Inclusive Bible: The First Egalitarian Translation, by
Priests for Equality. 2009, Sheed
& Ward. Kindle Edition. The traditional Lutheran
liturgy is from Sundays and Seasons.com. Copyright 2014 Augsburg Fortress. All
rights reserved. Reprinted by permission under Augsburg Fortress Liturgies
Annual License #28429. Hymns used with permission for worship and
podcast under OneLicense.net #A-723548.
Gospel Acclamation: Verse 4
Gospel Reading: Luke 1: 47-55
46And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, 47and
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48for he has looked with favor
on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call
me blessed; 49for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and
holy is his name. 50His mercy is for those who fear him from
generation to generation. 51He has shown strength with his arm; he
has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. 52He has
brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; 53he
has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. 54He
has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy, 55according to the promise he made to
our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever.” 56And
Mary remained with her about three months and then returned to her home.
The gospel of the God most high. Praise
to you, O Christ.
Sermon: Silence for reflection follows the sermon. The assembly stands to proclaim the word of
God in song.
Hymn of the
Day: Verses 1, 3 and 4
Prayers of Intercession
A During
this season of Advent, we pray that the Holy Spirit will bring us patience,
compassion and eyes to see God alive and at work in the world around us. A brief
silence.
Creating God, help us repair broken relationships,
to clean up our messes and debts and to ask for help when we need it. Particularly,
help us work to forgive others and get along with our family, neighbors and
friends during the holiday season. God
in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Parent God, bless all who are parents, the family
and staff of the Grace
Infant Care
Center and all who have
created families. Particularly during
this season, be with those who are working on their fertility, caring for
developing embryos and who are getting ready to become parents. Help us become better at loving and receiving
love from others. God in your mercy, hear our prayer.
God, guide our civic leaders and enable them to be
good stewards of public trust, resources and properties. Be with our bishops Elizabeth and Mark, our
pastor Megan and all the staff and leaders of our congregation. God in your mercy, hear our prayer.
We give thanks for all who work in healing and
caring professions. Support doctors,
nurses, partners, parents and friends who love and support others. Provide healing and hope for those whose
minds, bodies or spirits are in need of care.
Help us to live as fully as we can as we await the day all pain and
suffering will end. God in your mercy, hear our prayer.
For whom and what else do the people of Grace pray?
(Please offer
- silently or aloud- petitions to God.
End spoken petitions with “God in your mercy.”)
P Our prayers rise like incense and are held by a
loving God who yearns for us to be our best.
May we sleep well, worry less, and live convinced that God is on our
side. Amen.
Peace
The presiding minister and the assembly greet each
other in the peace of the risen Christ.
P The peace of Christ be with you always. C And also with you.
The people may greet one another with the sign of
Christ’s peace, and may say, “Peace be with you” or similar words. Then, the assembly is seated.
Offering
An offering is gathered for
the mission of the church, including the care of those in need.
Offertory:
Offering
Prayer:
After the offering is
gathered, the assembly stands.
A Let us
pray. God, bless all that we have to offer. May our financial support
match the generosity of our lives. Help
us to be good stewards of our financial and emotional investments. Amen.
Communion:
P It is indeed right, our duty and our joy,
that we should at all times and in all places give thanks and praise . . . we
praise your name and join their unending hymn:
P On the night in which he was betrayed, our God
most high 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.
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.
The
Lord’s Prayer
C
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your
will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us
our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Save us from the time of trial
and deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours,
now and forever. Amen
Blessing
Announcements
Closing Hymn: (next page)
Dismissal
A: Go in peace and serve our God. C: Thanks
be to God.
Postlude:
Please join us for coffee and
refreshments downstairs in the Fellowship Hall.
To get to the Fellowship Hall, exit to the right of
the communion railing at the front of the church.
Verses 1,2 and 4
Announcements
You can find more information and find archived
sermons and worship live streams at our website: www.gracesf.com or on our blog: www.sfgrace.blogspot.com
·
December 4 – 18
- Holden Evening Prayer, 6:30pm: Each
Thursday night in Advent.
·
December 24 – Christmas Eve Service of Carols, 9:30pm
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