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LHN et us A SERIES OF SPECIAL SERVICES FOR ADVENT AND CHRISTMAS DON NEIDIGK adore him Creative Communications Sample

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Page 1: et us - Creative Communications · et us . A SERIES OF SPECIAL ... highlights the glory of God that John says is made manifest in our Lord and Savior ... steadfast love in Christ

LHN

et us �A SERIES OF SPECIAL SERVICES

FOR ADVENT AND CHRISTMAS

DON NEIDIGK

adore himCrea

tive

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Leader’s Guide

�A SERIES OF SPECIAL SERVICES

FOR ADVENT AND CHRISTMAS

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By Don Neidigk. Cover image: istockphoto.com. ©2014 by Creative Communications for the Parish, 1564 Fencorp Dr., Fenton, MO 63026. 800-325-9414. www.creativecommunications.com. All rights reserved. Printed in the USA. Purchase of this kit gives the purchaser the copyright release to use the material in any format for use in worship.

IndexAbout the Series ..........................................................................................5-6

Newsletter/Bulletin notices..........................................................................7-12

Service One (Eternal Word) ...................................................................... 13-40

Service Two (Creator of All) .......................................................................41-69

Service Three (Light in the Darkness) ...................................................... 70-99

Service Four (Grace and Truth) ............................................................. 100-127

Christmas Eve (One of Us) ..................................................................... 128-160

Christmas Day (God’s Glory) ...................................................................161-191

Music Guide .......................................................................................... 192-257

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About the SeriesRather than using the more traditional birth accounts from the books of Matthew and

Luke, this series for Advent, Christmas Eve and Day looks at the story of the birth of Christ through the lens of the Gospel of John. Written by Rev. Don Neidigk, the services include dialogs that reveal in a powerful way just who this child born of Mary is and what the new life in Christ is all about for all those who believe. Hymns in the series include the theme hymn “O Come, All Ye Faithful,” “Savior of the Nations, Come” and “A Great And Mighty

Wonder.”

• Service 1: We Adore Him Who Is the Eternal Word (John 1:1) explores the meaning behind Christ being called the Word and the reality that the Word was present at the beginning and will be with us forever.

• Service 2: We Adore Him Who Is the Creator of All (John 1:1-3) uncovers John’s masterful description of how Christ was involved in all of creation from the start and how he came to save creation by coming to earth as a tiny baby.

• Service 3: We Adore Him Who Is the Light in the Darkness (John 1:4-5) reveals John’s message that Christ is the Light who enlightens the darkness of sin and death that had come into the world.

• Service 4: We Adore Him Who Brought Grace And Truth (John 1:17) brings to light that while the Law was given through Moses, the message of the Gospel came through Christ.

�A SERIES OF SPECIAL SERVICES

FOR ADVENT AND CHRISTMAS

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• The Christmas Eve Service: We Adore Him Who Is One of Us (John 1:11-12) celebrates John’s declaration that Christ took on human flesh and blood to save the human race and make us his own.

• The Christmas Day Service: We Adore Him Who Is God’s Glory (John 1:14) highlights the glory of God that John says is made manifest in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who brings grace and truth to all.

The services for Advent and Christmas Day feature a dialog sermon read by the pastor and another character, John. The service for Christmas Eve has a monolog sermon for

the pastor. Children’s sermons for all services are also included, along with newsletter/bulletin notices.

Kit includes everything you need for each service on a CD-ROM (Mac/PC) with the text of the entire kit in .rtf (rich text format) and PowerPoint documents of all services with

images and text (along with a copyright release) for use on screens.

Blank 8 1/2” x 11” bulletins Order Codes:

Service 1 (Eternal Word) LHNA Service 2 (Creator of All) LHNB

Service 3 (Light in the Darkness) LHNC Service 4 (Grace and Truth) LHND Christmas Eve (One of Us) LHNE

Christmas Day (God’s Glory) LHNF

Blank 8 1/2” x 14” bulletins Order Codes:

Service 1 (Eternal Word) LHNG Service 2 (Creator of All) LHNH

Service 3 (Light in the Darkness) LHNJ Service 4 (Grace and Truth) LHNK Christmas Eve (One of Us) LHNL

Christmas Day (God’s Glory) LHNM

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IndexOrder of Service ........................................................................................ 14-17

Complete Script For Worship Leaders ...................................................... 18-28

Scripture Readings ................................................................................... 29-30

Children’s Message ...................................................................................31-32

Dialog Sermon ......................................................................................... 33-38

Prayers ..................................................................................................... 39-40

Service One: We Adore Him Who Is the Eternal Word

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Order of ServiceIn the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:1

Opening Hymn ..................................................................... Adeste Fideles irregular meter

O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant! O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem;

Come and behold him born the king of angels: O come, let us adore him, O come, let us adore him,

O come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord!

Highest, most holy, Light of Light eternal, Born of a virgin, a mortal he comes;

Word of the Father now in flesh appearing! O come, let us adore him, O come, let us adore him,

O come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord!

Service One: We Adore Him Who Is the Eternal Word

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Responsive Reading .......................................................................................... Psalm 33:1-9

P Shout for joy in the Lord, O you righteous! Praise befits the upright.

C Give thanks to the Lord with the lyre; make melody to him with the harp of ten strings!

P Sing to him a new song; play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts.

C For the word of the Lord is upright, and all his work is done in faithfulness.

P He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord. By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their host.

C He gathers the waters of the sea as a heap; he puts the deeps in storehouses.

P Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him!

C For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm.

Confession and Absolution

P The Lord loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his steadfast love. Let us confess our sins to God and ask his forgiveness.

C Almighty God, we confess to you that we live in unrighteousness, lost in sin. We sin against you each day in our thoughts, words and actions. We cannot save ourselves. Have mercy on us and for the sake of your steadfast love in Christ Jesus our Savior, forgive our sins.

P Our God loves righteousness and justice. He sent his Son to suffer the punishment we justly deserve for our sins. Jesus took our sins onto himself and in exchange gives us his righteousness. I announce to you that your sins are forgiven in the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

C The word of the Lord is upright, and all his work is done in faithfulness.

Prayer of the Day

Children’s Message

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Hymn ...............................................................................Gottes Sohn Ist Kommen 66 66 66

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.

Old Testament Lesson ...................................................................................... Isaiah 55:8-11

Epistle Lesson ..............................................................................................Hebrews 4:11-13

Gospel Lesson ....................................................................................................... John 1:1-2

Hymn ........................................................................Nun Komm, Der Heiden Heiland 77 77

Savior of the nations come, Virgin’s Son, make here your home! Marvel now, O heav’n and earth, that the Lord chose such a birth.

Dialog Sermon

Hymn of Response ...................................................Nun Komm, Der Heiden Heiland 77 77

Not by human flesh and blood, by the Spirit of our God, Was the Word of God made flesh—woman’s offspring, pure and fresh.

Offering

Prayers

Each petition ends with the following response:

P Lord Jesus, Eternal Word,

C In you we have forgiveness and life.

Lord’s Prayer

(Holy Communion, if celebrated, may be offered at this time.)

Benediction

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Closing Hymn .............................................................Es Ist Ein Ros (Isorhythmic) 76 76 6 76

A great and might wonder, a full and holy cure: The virgin bears the infant with virgin honor pure!

Proclaim the Savior’s birth: “To God on high be glory and peace to all the earth.”

The Word becomes incarnate and yet remains on high, And cherubim sing anthems to shepherds from the sky.

Proclaim the Savior’s birth: “To God on high be glory and peace to all the earth.”

Since all he comes to ransom, by all be he adored, The infant born in Bethl’em, the Savior and the Lord.

Proclaim the Savior’s birth: “To God on high be glory and peace to all the earth.”

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Complete Script For Worship Leaders• The Theme Verse is read aloud by the pastor or in unison with the

congregation or is simply reflected upon in silence:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:1

• The Opening Hymn is sung by the congregation to the tune Adeste Fideles irregular meter:

O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant! O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem;

Come and behold him born the king of angels: O come, let us adore him, O come, let us adore him,

O come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord!

Service One: We Adore Him Who Is the Eternal Word

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Highest, most holy, Light of Light eternal, Born of a virgin, a mortal he comes;

Word of the Father now in flesh appearing! O come, let us adore him, O come, let us adore him,

O come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord!

• The Responsive Reading from Psalm 33:1-9 is spoken responsively by the pastor and the congregation:

P Shout for joy in the Lord, O you righteous! Praise befits the upright.

C Give thanks to the Lord with the lyre; make melody to him with the harp of ten strings!

P Sing to him a new song; play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts.

C For the word of the Lord is upright, and all his work is done in faithfulness.

P He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord. By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their host.

C He gathers the waters of the sea as a heap; he puts the deeps in storehouses.

P Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him!

C For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm.

• The Confession and Absolution is read responsively by the pastor and the congregation:

P The Lord loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his steadfast love. Let us confess our sins to God and ask his forgiveness.

C Almighty God, we confess to you that we live in unrighteousness, lost in sin. We sin against you each day in our thoughts, words and actions. We cannot save ourselves. Have mercy on us and for the sake of your steadfast love in Christ Jesus our Savior, forgive our sins.

P Our God loves righteousness and justice. He sent his Son to suffer the punishment we justly deserve for our sins. Jesus took our sins onto himself and in exchange gives us his righteousness. I announce to you that your sins are forgiven in the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

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C The word of the Lord is upright, and all his work is done in faithfulness.

• The Prayer of the Day is read by the pastor:

P Almighty God and Father, your Son is, and has forever been, the Eternal Word. All the attributes of your divine nature are perfectly revealed in him. By the power of the Holy Spirit, in the womb of the Virgin Mary he took on a human nature like ours and lived and died among us, rising on the third day, that sinners might repent and live through faith in him. Through the proclamation of your Eternal Word, grant us renewed hearts to serve him in holiness of life and compassion toward our neighbors that they would be drawn to him in faith. This we pray in the name of Jesus, ever one God with you and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

• The Children’s Message is delivered by the pastor or other worship leader:

(Needed: mini packets of M & M’s)

P Well, hello, everyone! This is our first Advent service and we’re learning that Jesus is the Word of God. Do you have any idea what that means? (Let children answer.) If you’re having trouble with that, it’s okay. Lots of people do.

Maybe this will help you understand it better: People’s words are the way they express themselves. When I talk and you listen, you learn who I am, what I think and what I’m like. Nothing’s really closer to me than my words. Well, Jesus is like God’s words with a body on them so you can see and hear God through Jesus.

But there’s more to it than that. Not only do we hear and see God through Jesus, but he really is God and always has been. Before Jesus was born to Mary, no one could see God. But when Christ took on a body in Mary his mother, he was born as a human being like us. Now he’s God and man in one person.

I brought some M & M’s for everyone to show you what I mean. (Give everyone one a pack.) Take one M & M out and look at it. What’s on the outside? (Let someone answer.) Yes, hard colored candy. Now, bite it in half. (Everyone does it.) What’s on the inside? (Let someone answer.) Yes, chocolate. So an M & M is both hard colored candy and milk chocolate in one piece of candy. That’s a little like Jesus, the Word of God. He’s a human being like us, but he’s also God, both in one Person. Jesus is the Word of God. Jesus is God. He was born in Bethlehem. He grew up to die on the cross for us and to rise from the dead so that our sins can be forgiven and we can live with him forever. Let’s say a prayer to Jesus.

Jesus, you became a human being like me so I could learn about God from you and

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so you could die for my sins and save me. Give me faith to adore you as the Christmas carol calls me to do. In your name I pray. Amen.

• The Hymn is sung by the congregation to the tune Gottes Sohn Ist Kommen 66 66 66:

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.

• The Old Testament Reading, Isaiah 55:8-11, is spoken by the pastor or other worship leader:

P For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.”

• The Epistle Reading, Hebrews 4:11-13, is spoken by the pastor or other worship leader:

P Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

• The Gospel Reading, John 1:1-2, is spoken by the pastor or other worship leader:

P In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.

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• The Hymn is sung by the congregation to the tune Nun Komm, Der Heiden Heiland 77 77:

Savior of the nations come, Virgin’s Son, make here your home! Marvel now, O heav’n and earth, that the Lord chose such a birth.

• The Dialog Sermon is spoken by the pastor and a second reader, John (R):

R (Singing) “Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing ... ” I don’t get it. I just don’t get it.

P Don’t get what, John?

R Pastor! Where did you come from? I thought I had the building all to myself!

P I stopped by to pick up a Sunday bulletin and heard someone singing.

R Oh yeah, well, I was just putting up some Christmas decorations. I thought I’d just pop in, set this tree up and beat it out of here in time for supper. I didn’t realize I was talking to myself.

P So what were you talking to yourself about?

R About the Christmas carol I was singing. For as long as I can remember I’ve been singing “Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing,” but I haven’t the slightest idea what it means.

P Would you like my thoughts on the subject?

R If it keeps me from feeling like an idiot every year when I sing the song, sure. So, what exactly does “Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing” mean?

P Well, it’s from the apostle John’s version of the Christmas story in his gospel. As a matter of fact, the content of that carol and the first chapter of John is the subject of all my Advent and Christmas sermons this year.

R Now wait a minute, Pastor. I’ve read all four Gospels and neither Mark nor John have Christmas stories. Only Matthew and Luke do.

P I beg to differ! John absolutely does have a Christmas story! It’s just that John gives us the theological significance of the incarnation, whereas Matthew and Luke are more interested in describing the details of the event.

R Okay, Pastor, now I feel even more like an idiot. I have no idea what you just said.

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P Sorry, John. Theology is just a big word that means “the study of God.” The other big word, incarnation, refers to God taking on flesh, that is, being born as a human being like us. Matthew and Luke describe the birth of Jesus. They tell us about the angels who announced it, the struggles Mary and Joseph had in coming to grips with it and the people who witnessed it. John, on the other hand, makes it very clear just who this Jesus born to Mary is, God made flesh, and how we can have eternal life through faith in him.

R But I thought incarnation is what happens when you die. You know, if you were bad, you come back as a bug or if you were good, maybe a cow.

P That’s re-incarnation, John. That’s a Hindu idea, not a Christian one. The incarnation refers to Christ, the eternal Son of God, who once didn’t have a body, taking one to himself in the womb of Mary, his virgin mother.

R Okay, I think I get it. Once Jesus didn’t have a body. But when he was conceived in the womb of the Virgin Mary, he finally got one.

P Yes. And that human nature he got from Mary his mother is inseparably united to his divine nature. He is now, and forever will be, God and man in one indivisible person. He’s not half God and half man. He’s fully and completely God and man, two complete natures in one person.

R Well, that’s what I’ve always believed. I’m not sure I fully understand it, but that’s what I believe. But why doesn’t John just say what he means? Why does he have to use the word Word to describe Jesus?

P Good question. John is a product of his times. He was a Jew living in the Greco-Roman world. So in speaking to his original audience, he uses phrases and words they are familiar with, but he defines them differently.

R How so?

P Well, take the opening phrase of the first verse of John’s gospel. He starts out with “In the beginning … ” Does that ring a bell?

R Of course, it does! Those are the first words of the Book of Genesis. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”

P Right. John takes those words, very familiar to his Jewish readers, and ties this creative activity to the Word of God, Word being Logos in Greek. That, too, would have been familiar. Hebrew scholars had already been ascribing a creative force to the Word of God.

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R That makes sense, since Genesis 1 goes on to say over and over, on each successive day of creation, “And God said, Let there be light” or “And God said, Let the waters under the heavens be gathered ... ,” that sort of thing. God speaks, and it happens. The Word does the work.

P Right, John, but it’s more than that. There’s the Greek contribution here too.

R Greek?

P Yes, Greek. The Stoic philosophers spoke of the Logos as being the principle of divine reason or the seed that gives birth to the natural creation.

R So John’s Jewish readers saw the Word of God as being the creative power of God, and the Greeks saw the Word as the divine reason of God that gave rise to the creation. And John pulls these ideas together and says that this creative power or divine reason is Jesus Christ.

P Exactly. But there’s more. In the Jewish use of Word or Logos, as well as the Greek use, the Word is a force or a divine principle, an attribute of God. But John takes it a step further. He says the Word is a Person. In fact, he says the Word is actually God himself.

R So when John says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God,” John is saying the Word is not just some divine force or principle, it’s God himself in the person of Jesus Christ.

P Yes, and he has to be. Because what else besides God is pre-existent?

R Pre-what? There you go again, Pastor.

P Pre-existent. Let me explain it by asking a question: Before there was any creation, what was there?

R Well, I guess before there was creation, there was nothing.

P No, John, think! Before there was any creation, anything in the universe at all, what else did there have to be? What had to be there in order for the creation to come into being?

R Oh, I see. God had to be there.

P Yes, God had to be there. Before there was any creation, there was God. There was always God. There was never a time when there was not God. And who was there, before creation, with God?

R Christ, the Word, the Logos?

P Precisely! Christ, the eternal Word, was always there, along with the Holy Spirit.

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R The Holy Trinity!

P Yes, the Holy Trinity. When you read John 1:1 alongside Genesis 1:1, you see that in the beginning, before there was anything else, there was always the Father, the Word and the Spirit. All are involved in creation before there is any creation. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

R And the Holy Spirit, too, because Genesis says, “And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.” So you’re saying that because of the use of that past tense was, we know that Christ, the Word, already was before there was any creation. He pre-existed. So why is that important?

P It’s important because of what I already said. John is a Jew living in a Greco-Roman world using words and phrases familiar to his audience. Gnosticism was a false teaching that was starting to grow stronger in John’s day. Gnostics thought of Christ as the Word or the “wisdom” of God but said he was not actually the same as God, nor was he really human either. He just seemed human or he adopted a human body temporarily.

R But if Jesus wasn’t human, then obviously he didn’t die for our sins on the cross and he didn’t rise from the dead. And if those events didn’t happen, we’d still be lost in sin.

P Very good observation, John. Gnostics thought that anything physical was less than good, that it was even evil. So in their scheme of things, the Word can’t be the Creator God. They thought that an evil angel at the bottom of a long chain of other angels must have created the world.

R That’s awful!

P Yes, it is awful. John wants us to know that the Jesus Christ he knew, the Christ he saw with his own eyes and touched with his own hands, the Christ born of the Virgin Mary, is fully God and fully man. It is through this Christ that the whole creation came into being. And that it is through this Christ that the fallen creation is restored. Any other view of Christ, John is saying, is false.

R Now I’m starting to understand the significance of what I’m singing in “O Come, All Ye Faithful.” When I sing “born the king of angels,” I’m not saying Jesus Christ is the most important of the angels; I’m saying he’s the king of angels because he’s the God who created the angels.

P Yes.

R And when I sing “Word of the Father,” I’m not just saying Jesus is just the visible expression of God’s attributes like wisdom or reason, but he actually is God, fully and completely.

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Music GuideAdeste Fideles irregular meter ..............................................................224-225

Wie Soll Ich Dich Empfangen 76 76 D ...................................................226-227

Erhalt Uns, Herr LM...............................................................................228-229

Est Ist Das Heil 87 87 887 .......................................................................230-231

Chesterfield CM ....................................................................................232-234

Service Four: We Adore Him Who Brought

Grace and Truth

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Creativ

e

Communicatio

ns

Sample

Page 21: et us - Creative Communications · et us . A SERIES OF SPECIAL ... highlights the glory of God that John says is made manifest in our Lord and Savior ... steadfast love in Christ

LHN 225

• The Opening Hymn is sung by the congregation to the tune Adeste Fideles irregular meter:

O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant! O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem;

Come and behold him born the king of angels: O come, let us adore him, O come, let us adore him,

O come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord!

Sing, choirs of angels, sing in exultation, Sing, all ye citizens of heaven above!

Glory to God in the highest: O come, let us adore him, O come, let us adore him,

O come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord!

Creativ

e

Communicatio

ns

Sample

Page 22: et us - Creative Communications · et us . A SERIES OF SPECIAL ... highlights the glory of God that John says is made manifest in our Lord and Savior ... steadfast love in Christ

226 LHN

Tune ...................................................... Wie Soll Ich Dich Empfangen 76 76 D

Creativ

e

Communicatio

ns

Sample

Page 23: et us - Creative Communications · et us . A SERIES OF SPECIAL ... highlights the glory of God that John says is made manifest in our Lord and Savior ... steadfast love in Christ

LHN 227

• The Hymn is sung by the congregation to the tune Wie Soll Ich Dich Empfangen 76 76 D:

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.

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.

Creativ

e

Communicatio

ns

Sample