Advent 4B
December 21, 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.
Special Welcome to
Newcomers
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: Verses 1-3
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: 2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16
Now
when the king was settled in his house, and the Lord had
given him rest from all his enemies around him, 2the king said to
the prophet Nathan, “See now, I am living in a house of cedar, but the ark of
God stays in a tent.” 3Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that you
have in mind; for the Lord is with you.”
4But
that same night the word of the Lord came to Nathan: 5Go
and tell my servant David: Thus says the Lord: Are you
the one to build me a house to live in? 6I have not lived in a house
since the day I brought up the people of Israel
from Egypt
to this day, but I have been moving about in a tent and a tabernacle. 7Wherever
I have moved about among all the people of Israel,
did I ever speak a word with any of the tribal leaders of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, saying,
“Why have you not built me a house of cedar?” 8Now therefore thus
you shall say to my servant David: Thus says the Lord of
hosts: I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep to be prince over
my people Israel; 9and I have been with you wherever you went, and
have cut off all your enemies from before you; and I will make for you a great
name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. 10And I will
appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, so that they may live
in their own place, and be disturbed no more; and evildoers shall afflict them
no more, as formerly, 11from the time that I appointed judges over
my people Israel; and I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover the Lord declares to you that the Lord will
make you a house. … 16Your
house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me; your throne shall
be established forever.
L Word of hope, word of life. Thanks
be to God
Psalm 89 1-4 (read responsively)
1I will sing of your steadfast love, O Lord,
forever; with my mouth I will proclaim your faithfulness to all generations.
2I declare that your steadfast love is established forever; your
faithfulness is as firm as the heavens.
3You said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one, I
have sworn to my servant David:
4‘I will establish your descendants forever, and build your throne for
all generations.’”
Second Reading: Romans 16:25-27
25Now
to God who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the
proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that
was kept secret for long ages 26but is now disclosed, and through
the prophetic writings is made known to all the Gentiles, according to the
command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith— 27to
the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever! Amen.
L Word of hope, word of life. Thanks
be to God
Special
Music: Magnificat (Holden Evening Prayer)
Gospel Acclamation: Verse 5
Gospel Reading: Luke 1: 26-38
26In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God
to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, 27to a virgin engaged to a man
whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28And
he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” 29But
she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this
might be. 30The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you
have found favor with God. 31And now, you will conceive in your womb
and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32He will be great, and
will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the
throne of his ancestor David. 33He will reign over the house of
Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” 34Mary said
to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” 35The angel
said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most
High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will
be called Son of God. 36And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a
son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. 37For
nothing will be impossible with God.” 38Then Mary said, “Here am I,
the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Then the
angel departed from her.
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, 2 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.
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.
Verses 1-3
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 24 – Celtic Christmas Eve Service of Carols, 9:30pm
Pastor Megan will be out of the country
from December 25th – January 10th and will be journeying
from Bejing to London
and visiting the Wonders of the World along the way. You can follow the pastor’s adventures on
Facebook.
