Bulletin for December 28, 2014: Christmas 1B

1st Sunday of Christmas

December

10:30 am Holy Communion Service

Grace Evangelical Lutheran

Guest Pastor: Pastor Thom Longino

Guest Musician: Vaughn Edwards

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:  

Water is poured into the baptismal font. 

Alleluia! Christ is risen!                             Christ is risen indeed! Alleluia!

Gathering Hymn: Verses 1, 3, 5 and 6

Prayer of the Day:

Loving God, give us the inquisitive faith of a child.  Embolden us to taste, touch and see you in all the ways you are made known in our world.  Be with us in our doubt and transform our fear into hope.  Amen.

Welcome           

First Reading: Isaiah 61:10-62:3

¹⁰I will greatly rejoice in the God Most High, 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.

62For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, until her vindication shines out like the dawn, and her salvation like a burning torch. ²The nations shall see your vindication, and all the kings your glory; and you shall be called by a new name that the mouth of the God Most High will give. ³You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the God Most High, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God.

L   Word of hope, word of life.                        Thanks be to God

Psalm  148   (read responsively)

¹Praise the God Most High from the heavens; praise God in the highest places! ²Praise all God’s angels; praise all God’s host!

³Praise God, sun and moon; praise God, all you shining stars!

⁴Praise God, you highest heavens, and you waters above the heavens! ⁵Let them praise the name of the God Most High, for God commanded and they were created. ⁶God established them forever and ever; he fixed their bounds, which cannot be passed.  ⁷Praise the God Most High from the earth, you sea monsters and all deeps, ⁸fire and hail, snow and frost, stormy wind fulfilling his command! ⁹Mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars!  ¹⁰Wild animals and all cattle, creeping things and flying birds! ¹¹Kings of the earth and all peoples, princes and all rulers of the earth!

¹²Young men and women alike, old and young together!

¹³Let them praise the name of the God Most High.  Who alone is exalted in glory above the earth and heaven.  ¹⁴God has raised up a horn for all people, praise for all his faithful, for the people of Israel who are close to him.

Praise the God Most Height!

Second Reading: Colossians 3:12-21

¹²As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. ¹³Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. ¹⁴Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. ¹⁵And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. ¹⁶Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. ¹⁷And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

¹⁸Wives, be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. ¹⁹Husbands, love your wives and never treat them harshly. ²⁰Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is your acceptable duty in the Lord. ²¹Fathers, do not provoke your children, or they may lose heart.

L   Word of hope, word of life.                        Thanks be to God

Anthem:                       LBW#54     It Came Upon a Midnight Clear                  Grace Choir

Gospel Reading:  Luke 2:22-40

²²When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord ²³(as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord”), ²⁴and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”

²⁵Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. ²⁶It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. ²⁷Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law, ²⁸Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying, ²⁹“Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word; ³⁰for my eyes have seen your salvation, ³¹which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, ³²a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.” ³³And the child’s father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. ³⁴Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, “This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed ³⁵so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed—and a sword will pierce your own soul too.” ³⁶There was also a prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, having lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, ³⁷then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped there with fasting and prayer night and day. ³⁸At that moment she came, and began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem. ³⁹When they had finished everything required by the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. ⁴⁰The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.

P   The gospel of the Lord.                          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 Christmas, we pray for all who long for a new start, who nurture families or provide hope for the hopeless, and for the church, the world and all people in their need.  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. 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.  Help us to become better at loving and receiving love from others.  God in your mercy, hear our prayer.

God, you are the highest authority.  Help our civic leaders to bring peace to a war torn world and to care for those who are vulnerable.  Be with our bishops Elizabeth and Mark, our pastor Megan and all the staff and leaders of our congregation.  Help us to support the work and hobbies of all who worship with us, so that we may draw closer to God in all that we do at work and at home.  God in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Loving God, help us to have patience, compassion and listening ears for those who differ from us.  Provide healing and hope for those whose minds, bodies or spirits are in need of care.  We pray especially for those who care for the sick and support those who are aging.  Help us to live and experience as much as we can while we await the day we will be reunited with those we have lost.   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.  After the offering is gathered, the assembly stands.

Offertory

         

Offering Prayer

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 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.

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

Sending Hymn:  (see the next page)

Dismissal

A:  Go in peace and serve our God.

C: Thanks be to God.

Postlude:                "I Know That My Redeemer Lives"                   Hymntune: "Duke Street"

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 1,2 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

·        Grace is now able to have virtual members who fulfill their worship attendance with us via live stream.  If you’re interested in becoming more connected to Grace and learning about becoming a member email Pastor Megan at pastor@gracesf.com

·        Pastor Megan will be out of the country from December 25^th – January 10^th 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.

Next week’s Guest Pastor will be Pastor Lyle Beckmen, the Night Minister.