sunday, december 14, 2014 the third sunday of advent

8/10/2019 Sunday, December 14, 2014 the Third Sunday of Advent

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“John the Baptist Preaching in the Wilderness” (1792)The Macklin Bible, Vanderbilt Divinity School

The Macklin Bible is seven volumes two feet in height and over 130 pounds in weight.The artists illustrated biblical stories to include women and children, who were the primary nurturers of the

faith in 18th Century England.

The Third Sunday of AdventSunday, December 14, 2014



2 THE THIRD SUNDAY OF A DVENT

Welcome to Worship at St. Paul’s!!

The community of believers at St. Paul Lutheran Church takes delight in having guests inits worship. Our congregation strives to present a witness to Christ that is faithful to the Word ofHoly Scripture and to the confessional heritage of the Lutheran tradition.

GUESTS: We encourage you to sign a “visitor” card located in the pews and our Guest Booklocated in the hall outside the worship space.

HOLY COMMUNION IS OFFERED by invitation of the Lord himself. Access to the Lord’s Tableis by invitation of the Lord himself. All baptized believers who trust that Christ is presented in the

celebration of the Holy Eucharist are invited to come forward and receive Christ in the BlessedSacrament. Communion is distributed by coming up the center aisle at the direction of the usherand returning along the side aisle. Those who do not wish to receive the Sacrament may comeforward with their arms crossed and receive a blessing. Those who, for any reason, cannot receivethe wine may receive the Sacrament under the form of bread alone. In doing so, a communicantstill receives the whole Christ.

TO THE PARENTS OF YOUNG CHILDREN —Relax! God put the wiggle in children; don’t feel you have to suppress it in God’s house. All are welcome!

Sit toward the front where it is easier for your little ones to see and hear what’s going on in worship. They tire of seeing the backs of others’ heads.

Quietly and kindly explain the parts of the Liturgy and actions of the worship leaders. Share the worship folder with them at eye level.

Sing the hymns, pray and voice the responses. Children learn liturgical behavior by copying you.

If you have to leave worship with your child, feel free to do so, but please come back. Jesus said“Let the children come to me.”

Remember that the way we welcome children in church directly affects the way they respond to theChurch, to God, and to one another. Let them know that they are at home in this house of worship.

Please let your child use this worship folder to draw and doodle.

The presence of children is a gift to the Church. Please welcome children and give a smile ofencouragement to their families.



THE THIRD SUNDAY OF A DVENT 3

HOLY COMMUNION THE THIRD SUNDAY OF A DVENT

John of the Cross, Renewer of the Church (d. 1591)Sunday, December 14, 2014 + 9:30 a.m.

MY SOUL REJOICES "Rejoice always," begins the reading from First Thessalonians. Isaiah and the psalmist make clear thatGod is turning our mourning into laughter and shouts of joy. "All God's children got a robe," go thewords of the spiritual. It is not so much a stately, formal, pressed outfit as it is a set of party clothes,clothes that make us feel happy just to put on. We receive that robe in baptism, and in worship we gather for a foretaste of God's party.

+ + + + + + + + + + + +

The Liturgy (which means “the work of the people”) involves participation. The texts marked in plaintext are spoken by the worship leaders while the assembly responds with bold text.

ENTRANCE R ITE The GATHERING MUSIC

The WELCOME & ANNOUNCEMENTSThe READING OF THE MISSION STATEMENT

Let us join together and say our Mission Statement.Come and see, Follow me, The gift of God, Jesus Christ, Has set us free.

The assembly stands.

The BRIEF ORDER FOR CONFESSION & FORGIVENESSThe sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.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 worthilymagnify 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 sinsand cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

The assembly kneels or sits. Silence for reflection and self-examination.Most merciful God, we confess that we are in bondage to sin and cannot free ourselves. We have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what wehave 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

The presiding minister addresses the assembly. Almighty God, in his mercy, has given his Son to die for us and, for hissake, 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 entireforgiveness of all your sins, in the name of the Father, and of the + Son, andof the Holy Spirit.

The GATHERING HYMN O Come, O Come, Emmanuel




The GREETINGThe presiding minister and the assembly greet each other .

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of theHoly Spirit be with you all. And also with you.

The KYRIE (“Lord, have mercy”)

The Kyrie continues…




The PRAYER OF THE DAYLet us pray…the prayer concludes…one God, now and forever. Amen.

The assembly is seated.

LITURGY OF THE W ORD The FIRST READING Isaiah 61:1–4, 8–11Though the people had returned to Jerusalem from exile in Babylon, they continued to face hardshipand oppression. In the language of the jubilee year described in Leviticus 25, the prophet, moved bythe spirit of the Lord, announces deliverance for those who are oppressed and comfort for those who

mourn. 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 acknowledgethat 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 praiseto spring up before all the nations.

The reading concludes:

The Word of the Lord.Thanks be to God.




The PSALMODY Luke 1:46b-55 After introduction, the choir or cantor will sing the refrain once, then repeated by all. The assemblysings the refrain after each verse.

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,for he has looked upon his lowly servant.From this day all generations will call me blessed: Refrain

the Almighty has done great things for me,and holy is his Name.He has mercy on those who fear himIn every generation. Refrain

He has filled the hungry with good things,and the rich he has sent away empty.He has come to the help of his servant Israelfor he has remembered his promise of mercy. Refrain

The SECOND READING 1 Thessalonians 5:16–24Paul concludes his letter to the Thessalonians by encouraging them to live lives of continual joy, prayer, and thanksgiving. The closing blessing is grounded in the hope of Christ's coming.

16Rejoice always, 17pray without ceasing, 18give thanks in all circumstances; for thisis the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 19Do not quench the Spirit. 20Do notdespise 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 souland body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.24

The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do this.The reading concludes:The Word of the Lord.Thanks be to God.




The assembly stands to welcome the Gospel. The choir sings the appointed verse with the refrainrepeated by all.The GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

Verse (choir): The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidingsto the poor. Alleluia. (Luke 4:18)

The HOLY GOSPEL John 1:6–8, 19–28 John's gospel describes Jesus as the "light of the world." John the Baptist is presented as a witness to Jesus, one who directs attention away from himself to Christ, the true light.

The Lord be with you. And also with you. The Holy + 1 Gospel according to John.Glory to you, O Lord.

6There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7He came as a witness totestify to the light, so that all might believe through him. 8He himself was not thelight, but he came to testify to the light. 19This is the testimony given by John whenthe Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?" 20Heconfessed and did not deny it, but confessed, "I am not the Messiah." 21 And they

asked him, "What then? Are you Elijah?" He said, "I am not." "Are you theprophet?" He answered, "No." 22Then they said to him, "Who are you? Let us havean answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?" 23He said,"I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness,'Make straight the way of the Lord,'"as the prophet Isaiah said.24Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. 25They asked him, "Why then are

you baptizing if you are neither the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?"26 John

answered them, "I baptize with water. Among you stands one whom you do notknow, 27the one who is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the thong of hissandal." 28This took place in Bethany across the Jordan where John was baptizing.

The reading concludes:The Gospel of the Lord.Praise to you, O Christ.

1 Using the thumb, the people may make three small signs of the cross, one on the forehead, one on the lips, and one on the breast whilesilently using the traditional prayer, “May the Good News of Jesus Christ be in my mind, and on my lips, and in my heart. Amen”




The CHILDREN’S MESSAGE

The SERMON

Silence for reflection.The assembly stands to proclaim the Word of God in song.The HYMN OF THE DAY Christ, Be Our Light




The NICENE CREED With the whole people of God, let us confess our faith. We believe in one God,

the Father, the Almighty,

maker of heaven and earth,of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,the only Son of God,eternally begotten of the Father,God from God, Light from Light,true God from true God,begotten, not made,of one Being with the Father.Through him all things were made.For us and for our salvation

he came down from heaven;

by the power of the Holy Spirithe became incarnate 2 from the virgin Mary, and wasmade man.

For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;he suffered death and was buried.On the third day he rose again

2 Martin Luther, in his Commentary on the Gospel of John encouraged the continuation of the ancient tradition of bowing during this portion of the Creed until “For our sake…” because “the Divine Majesty abased Himself and became like us poor bags of worms, andto thank God for the ineffable mercy and compassion reflected in the incarnation.” (Luther’s Works, Vol. 22, pp. 102, 105)




in accordance with the Scriptures;he ascended into heaven

and is seated at the right hand of the Father.He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,

and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified.He has spoken through the prophets.

We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead,

and the life of the world to come. Amen

The assembly is seated or kneels in prayer during Advent.The PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE

Pleading for God’s gift of a renewing Spirit, let us pray for the whole people of Godin Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.

After each petitionLord, in your mercyhear our prayer.

The prayers concludeSend the Spirit of Jesus upon us, O God, that we may be your songs ofpeace and joy in this world. We pray in the name of the one who is ourpeace and joy, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

LITURGY OF THE EUCHARISTIC M EAL The PEACEThe peace of the Lord be with you always.

And also with you.

The worship leaders and the assembly greet each other in the peace of the risen Christ.

The assembly is seated.

The OFFERING




The assembly stands as the gifts are brought forward .The OFFERTORY Come Now, O Prince of Peace

The GREAT THANKGIVING




Preface for AdventIt is indeed right and salutary that we should at all times and in all placesoffer thanks and praise to you, O Lord, holy Father, almighty and everlivingGod. You comforted your people with the promise of the Redeemer,through whom you will also make all things new in the day when he comesagain to judge the world in righteousness. And so, with the Church onearth and the hosts of heaven, we praise your name and join theirunending hymn:

The EUCHARISTIC PRAYER (XI) We give you thanks, Father,through Jesus Christ, your beloved Son,

whom you sent in this end of the agesto save and redeem us and to proclaim to us your will.…the prayer continues…

…through whom all glory and honor are yours, almighty Father, with the Holy Spirit, in your holy church, both now and forever. Amen.




The LORD”S PRAYER (1789)Gathered into one by the Holy Spirit, let us pray as Jesus taught us:Our Father, who art in heaven,

hallowed be thy name,thy kingdom come,thy will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven.Give us this day our daily bread;and forgive us our trespasses,

as we forgive those

who trespass against us;and lead us not into temptation,but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom,and the power, and the glory,

forever and ever. Amen.

The BREAKING OF THE BREADThis is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Happy are we whoare called to his supper.Lord, I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word and I shall behealed.

The assembly is seated

The DISTRIBUTION OF THE HOLY SACRAMENT

The MUSIC DURING DISTRIBUTION




After all have returned to their places, the assembly stands.The POST-COMMUNION BLESSING

The Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ strengthen you and keep you in hisgrace. Amen.

The POST-COMMUNION PRAYER Let us pray… Lord God, we give you thanksthat you have fed us even now

with the banquet that is yet to come.Keep us alert for signs of your presencein the world around us.Send us as healing oil and sheltering comfortto those in need,and make us bold in testifying to the lightof Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.

Amen.

LITURGY OF SENDING The BLESSING

Almighty God, Father, + Son, and Holy Spirit, bless you now and forever. Amen.




The SENDING HYMN Joy to the World

The DISMISSALGo in peace. Proclaim the Good News.Thanks be to God.

The SENDING MUSIC

Acknowledgements Unless indicated all hymns and liturgical music from Sundays and Seasons.com. Copyright © 2014 by Augsburg Fortress. All rightsreserved. Reprinted by permission under Augsburg Fortress Liturgies Annual License #42251. Scripture texts from the New RevisedStandard Version Bible, Copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Church of Christ inthe USA . Used by permission. All rights reserved. “Christ Be Our Light” text and music by Bernadette Farrell. Copyright © 1993

by OCP Publications. Reprinted by permission under OneLicense.net A-720226. “Wait for the Lord” text by the Taize Community.Music by Jacques Berthier. Copyright © 1984 by GIA Publications. Reprinted by permission under OneLicense.netA-720226. Allrights reserved.




WORSHIP LEADERS

Assisting Minister Kris WilliamsLector Kathie RobertsCommunion Assistants: Rob & Pat Yeagley

Acolyte: Kacey RayUshers John Cox, Roger Brotherton, Terry Monter, Logan Monter & C.F. Crum Altar Guild Jeanne Hunston, Monica Kinsey, Vickie Ramsier & Lisa Ray

WORSHIP LEADERS FOR NEXT SUNDAY, DECEMBER 21 st

Assisting Minister Jennifer CrumLector Gary ProweCommunion Assistants: Monica Kinsey & Brad Hooser

Acolyte: Abby TrippUshers John Cox, Roger Brotherton, Terry Monter, Logan Monter & C.F. Crum Altar Guild Jeanne Hunston, Monica Kinsey, Vickie Ramsier & Lisa Ray




Come and see. Follow me.

The gift of God, J esus Christ, has set us free

ST. P AUL LUTHERAN CHURCH 515 E. Line Street • Minerva, Ohio 44657

Office – (330) 868-4918 www.facebook.com/stpaulminerva

Pastor: The Rev. Steven Woyen, STS • Office Secretary: Becky Davis

Custodian: Damin Clapper • Director of Music: Paula PattersonMissionaries to the Republic of South Africa: The Rev. Tessa Moon Leiseth & Jon Leiseth

http://www.facebook.com/stpaulminerva



sunday, december 14, 2014 the third sunday of advent

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