First Presbyterian Church
Order of Worship/Communion
December 3, 2023
PRELUDE Es ist ein Ros Entsprungen, Johannes Brahms
WELCOME & ANNOUNCEMENTS
-ADVENT POTLUCK will be held today Sunday, Dec. 3 (which is the 1st Sunday of Advent) following worship service and also on Dec. 17. Please bring a dish to share if you are able, but please plan to attend in any case as there is always plenty of food. The Christian Education Committee will provide a short program after the meals.
-PROJECT JOY will be held on Saturday, December 9, 2023. Donations of unwrapped toys can be made at the Brookings radio station (Project Joy Trailer), Lewis, Walmart, Children’s Museum of SD, SDSU Wellness Center or Brookings equalization office. Monetary donations can be put in the offering plate with a notation to go to Project Joy. Please make the donation by December 3, 2023. The mission for Project Joy is to provide children and families living in Brookings County who are in need an opportunity to receive holiday gifts. Thank you for your support to this worthy cause.
-TUESDAY MORNING COFFEE GROUP meets at First Lutheran Mission Coffee House at 9:30ish.
-MISSION/FINANCE COMMITTEE will meet Tues. Dec. 5 at 6:30 PM via Zoom.
-THURSDAY MORNING BIBLE STUDY AND PRAYER TIME will be meeting in the Center Meeting Room at 9:30 AM.
-THE PC(USA) CHRISTMAS JOY SPECIAL OFFERING will begin Sunday, Dec. 3 until Dec. 24. Envelopes are by the offering plates or write Special Offering, Christmas Joy in the memo line of your check. Thank you for your generosity!
-The Worship Committee is looking for GREETERS to welcome attendees at the north door of the sanctuary each Sunday. Greeters should arrive no later than 10:15 to hand out bulletins, welcome attendees, and ask visitors to fill out the pew inserts. If you are interested in doing this, please contact Ginny or a member of the Worship Committee.
-FELLOWSHIP/OUTREACH COMMITTEE will be meeting on Dec. 10 after worship service.
SPECIAL MUSIC ‘Prepare the Way of the Lord’ choir
CALL TO WORSHIP
We are waiting for the dawn of God’s incarnation.
Restore us, O God. Let us see your face.
We are like clay awaiting the potter.
Restore us, O God. Let us see your face.
Teach us to keep alert as we wait.
Restore us, O God. Let us see your face.
Sustain us this day as we worship you.
Amen. Let us worship God!
PRAYER OF THE DAY
Great God, no one knows the hour of your return, yet we await your arrival, trusting that it will come. There is a sense of urgency in our waiting. We await the birth of Jesus, but we watch for so much more, anticipating all that your incarnation means in a hurting world. Teach us to keep alert, that we may not become complacent or convinced that we have time. Show us how to hurry up and wait, to enact our expectation by sharing love, offering forgiveness, and living according to the movement of the Holy Spirit. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.
CANDLE LIGHTING CEREMONY – Tia G
Advent 1 – Hope
Tia: Our Advent wreath reminds us of the approaching celebration of Jesus’ birth—the round wreath of evergreen leaves reminds us that God’s love is everlasting and the light of the candles represents the light which Jesus brought into a dark world.
Today we light the first candle of Advent, the candle of Hope. This is a time when we need hope more than ever. Our world is suffering, and we look for the coming of Christ with hope. We are reminded today that just one candle can show the way, one candle can light the way as we seek hope. Hope for a new energy, a new healing of body and mind, a new way of thinking, and a new world.
Isiah 9:2 “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.”
ALL: On this day, we remember to look for the coming of Christ with HOPE.
HYMN (on the screen—tune of ‘Away in the Manger’)
A candle is burning, a flame warm and bright,
A candle of hope in December’s dark night,
While angels sing blessings from heaven’s dark sky,
Our hearts we prepare now for Jesus is nigh.
CALL TO CONFESSION
We have all sinned, not one of us is clean; but there is mercy for thosewho call on the name of the Lord. Trusting in God’s grace, let us confess our sin.
PRAYER OF CONFESSION
Restore us, O God of hosts. Let your face shine, that we may be saved. Save us, O Lord, from traps of our own creating: from fear that blocks the way of love, from worry that blocks the way of joy, from isolation that blocks the way of relationship, from structural injustices that keep the world bound. Forgive us, O God of hosts, until the stars fall from heaven and we live as people transformed.
ASSURANCE OF PARDON
Every valley is lifted up; every mountain, made low. Now the glory of the Lord is revealed, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken. In the name of Jesus Christ, we are forgiven!
Thanks be to God.
GLORIA PATRI
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
World without end. Amen, Amen.
CHILDREN’S SERMON
PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION
Holy God, our hope and strength, by the power of your Spirit prepare the way in our hearts for the coming of your Word, so that we may see the glorious signs of your promise fulfilled; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
SCRIPTURE READING
A voice is crying in the wilderness: Listen to the word of the Lord.
Isaiah 64:1–9
1 Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down,
that the mountains would tremble before you!
2 As when fire sets twigs ablaze
and causes water to boil,
come down to make your name known to your enemies
and cause the nations to quake before you!
3 For when you did awesome things that we did not expect,
you came down, and the mountains trembled before you.
4 Since ancient times no one has heard,
no ear has perceived,
no eye has seen any God besides you,
who acts on behalf of those who wait for him.
5 You come to the help of those who gladly do right,
who remember your ways.
But when we continued to sin against them,
you were angry.
How then can we be saved?
6 All of us have become like one who is unclean,
and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags;
we all shrivel up like a leaf,
and like the wind our sins sweep us away.
7 No one calls on your name
or strives to lay hold of you;
for you have hidden your face from us
and have given us over to our sins.
8 Yet you, Lord, are our Father.
We are the clay, you are the potter;
we are all the work of your hand.
9 Do not be angry beyond measure, Lord;
do not remember our sins forever.
Oh, look on us, we pray,
for we are all your people.
Psalm 80:1–7, 17–19
1 Hear us, Shepherd of Israel,
you who lead Joseph like a flock.
You who sit enthroned between the cherubim,
shine forth
2 before Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh.
Awaken your might;
come and save us.
3 Restore us, O God;
make your face shine on us,
that we may be saved.
4 How long, Lord God Almighty,
will your anger smolder
against the prayers of your people?
5 You have fed them with the bread of tears;
you have made them drink tears by the bowlful.
6 You have made us an object of derision to our neighbors,
and our enemies mock us.
7 Restore us, God Almighty;
make your face shine on us,
that we may be saved.
17 Let your hand rest on the man at your right hand,
the son of man you have raised up for yourself.
18 Then we will not turn away from you;
revive us, and we will call on your name.
19 Restore us, Lord God Almighty;
make your face shine on us,
that we may be saved.
1 Corinthians 1:3–9
3 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 4 I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. 5 For in him you have been enriched in every way—with all kinds of speech and with all knowledge— 6 God thus confirming our testimony about Christ among you. 7 Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. 8 He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Mark 13:24–37
24 “But in those days, following that distress,
“‘the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light;
25 the stars will fall from the sky,
and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’
26 “At that time people will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. 27 And he will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens.
28 “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. 29 Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that it is near, right at the door. 30 Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
32 “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33 Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. 34 It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with their assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch.
35 “Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. 36 If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. 37 What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’”
Heaven and earth will pass away but the word of the Lord stands forever.
Thanks be to God.
SERMON - HOPE ELIZABETH FOX, CRE
ASCRIPTION OF PRAISE
Now to the God of all wisdom, who strengthens us according to the gospel,
through Jesus Christ be all glory forever. Amen.
Romans 16:25–27
HYMN # 82 (Red) ‘COME, THOU LONG EXPECTED JESUS’
Come, thou long expected Jesus, born to set thy people free;
from our fears and sins release us, let us find our rest in thee.
Israel's strength and consolation, hope of all the earth thou art;
dear desire of every nation, joy of every longing heart.
Born thy people to deliver, born a child and yet a King,
born to reign in us forever, now thy gracious kingdom bring.
By thine own eternal Spirit rule in all our hearts alone;
by thine all sufficient merit, raise us to thy glorious throne.
AFFIRMATION OF FAITH
Out of Israel, God in due time raised up Jesus. His faith and obedience were the response of the perfect child of God. He was the fulfillment of God’s promise to Israel, the beginning of the new creation, and the pioneer of the new humanity. He gave history its meaning and direction and called the church to be his servant for the reconciliation of the world.
Adapted from the Confession of 1967, 9.19
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
Responses: Lord for the joy, we give you thanks.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
INVITATION TO OFFERING
All things in heaven and earth belong to God, who is coming in glory to reveal a new creation. Therefore, let us offer our lives to the Lord. 2 Peter 3:8–15
*DOXOLOGY
Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen
PRAYER OF DEDICATION
God Most High, receive the gifts of our lives as an offering of gratitude for your grace. Overshadow us with your Holy Spirit and let it be with us according to your word, for nothing is impossible with you. Amen.
Luke 1:35–38; 1 Corinthians 1:4
COMMUNION
INVITATION TO THE TABLE
PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING
The Lord be with you. And also with you.
Lift up your hearts. We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
Blessed are you, O Lord our God:
The heavens tremble and the mountains quake at your presence.
Although we have forsaken you, you have never forgotten us:
you are the potter and we are the clay, the work of your hand.
Therefore we praise you, joining the song
of the universal church and the heavenly choir:
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,
Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is Jesus Christ, our Savior:
Christ Jesus is our grace and peace, the Word that we proclaim,
the source of all our strength, and the giver of every good gift.
In Christ’s body, we have received fellowship with you, our God.
We give you thanks that on the night of his arrest Jesus took bread, and after giving thanks to you, he broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying: Take, eat. This is my body, given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.
In the same way he took the cup, saying:
This cup is the new covenant sealed in my blood, shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. Whenever you drink it, do this in remembrance of me.
Dying, you destroyed our death; rising, you restored our life. O, Lord Jesus, come in glory! Hosanna in the highest!
Great is the mystery of faith:
Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.
Gracious God, pour out your Holy Spirit upon us and upon these your gifts of bread and wine that they may be for us the body and blood of Christ and that we may be his body for the world.
By your Spirit unite us with Christ and one another until we feast with him and with all your saints in your eternal realm of justice and peace.
Through Christ, with Christ, in Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor are yours, almighty God, now and forever. Amen.
As our Savior Christ has taught us, we are bold to pray:
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your anime, 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.
Remembering your goodness and grace, we offer ourselves to you with gratitude as we share this joyful feast.
Pour out your Holy Spirit upon us and upon this bread and cup; make us one in the body and blood of Jesus Christ our Lord. Keep us awake until the hour of Christ’s coming, when the sun and moon and stars will fall from heaven and you will gather up the faithful from the ends of the earth. Through the Lord Jesus Christ, in the unity of the Spirit, we bless you, God of glory, now and forever. Amen
BREAKING THE BREAD
COMMUNION OF THE PEOPLE
PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
God our hope, we give you thanks that you have given us this foretaste of the justice, righteousness, and peace of your promised new creation. Strengthen us with this heavenly food as we seek to serve your holy realm. Lead us to live in joyful expectation of the coming again in glory of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
HYMN #104 (RED) ‘O LORD, HOW SHALL I MEET YOU’
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, a 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.
O love beyond all telling, that led you to embrace
in love, all love excelling, our lost and fallen race.
You come, O Lord, with gladness in mercy and goodwill,
to bring an end to sadness and bid our fears be still.
In patient expectation we live for that great day
when your renewed creation your glory shall display.
BLESSING AND CHARGE
May the God of peace make you holy and the power of the Spirit sustain you until the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Alleluia!
1 Thessalonians 5:16–24
Prepare the way of the Lord! Amen.
Isaiah 40:3; Mark 1:3
POSTLUDE O Blessed Emmanuel, J.S. Bach/Thompson
Order of Worship/Communion
December 3, 2023
PRELUDE Es ist ein Ros Entsprungen, Johannes Brahms
WELCOME & ANNOUNCEMENTS
-ADVENT POTLUCK will be held today Sunday, Dec. 3 (which is the 1st Sunday of Advent) following worship service and also on Dec. 17. Please bring a dish to share if you are able, but please plan to attend in any case as there is always plenty of food. The Christian Education Committee will provide a short program after the meals.
-PROJECT JOY will be held on Saturday, December 9, 2023. Donations of unwrapped toys can be made at the Brookings radio station (Project Joy Trailer), Lewis, Walmart, Children’s Museum of SD, SDSU Wellness Center or Brookings equalization office. Monetary donations can be put in the offering plate with a notation to go to Project Joy. Please make the donation by December 3, 2023. The mission for Project Joy is to provide children and families living in Brookings County who are in need an opportunity to receive holiday gifts. Thank you for your support to this worthy cause.
-TUESDAY MORNING COFFEE GROUP meets at First Lutheran Mission Coffee House at 9:30ish.
-MISSION/FINANCE COMMITTEE will meet Tues. Dec. 5 at 6:30 PM via Zoom.
-THURSDAY MORNING BIBLE STUDY AND PRAYER TIME will be meeting in the Center Meeting Room at 9:30 AM.
-THE PC(USA) CHRISTMAS JOY SPECIAL OFFERING will begin Sunday, Dec. 3 until Dec. 24. Envelopes are by the offering plates or write Special Offering, Christmas Joy in the memo line of your check. Thank you for your generosity!
-The Worship Committee is looking for GREETERS to welcome attendees at the north door of the sanctuary each Sunday. Greeters should arrive no later than 10:15 to hand out bulletins, welcome attendees, and ask visitors to fill out the pew inserts. If you are interested in doing this, please contact Ginny or a member of the Worship Committee.
-FELLOWSHIP/OUTREACH COMMITTEE will be meeting on Dec. 10 after worship service.
SPECIAL MUSIC ‘Prepare the Way of the Lord’ choir
CALL TO WORSHIP
We are waiting for the dawn of God’s incarnation.
Restore us, O God. Let us see your face.
We are like clay awaiting the potter.
Restore us, O God. Let us see your face.
Teach us to keep alert as we wait.
Restore us, O God. Let us see your face.
Sustain us this day as we worship you.
Amen. Let us worship God!
PRAYER OF THE DAY
Great God, no one knows the hour of your return, yet we await your arrival, trusting that it will come. There is a sense of urgency in our waiting. We await the birth of Jesus, but we watch for so much more, anticipating all that your incarnation means in a hurting world. Teach us to keep alert, that we may not become complacent or convinced that we have time. Show us how to hurry up and wait, to enact our expectation by sharing love, offering forgiveness, and living according to the movement of the Holy Spirit. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.
CANDLE LIGHTING CEREMONY – Tia G
Advent 1 – Hope
Tia: Our Advent wreath reminds us of the approaching celebration of Jesus’ birth—the round wreath of evergreen leaves reminds us that God’s love is everlasting and the light of the candles represents the light which Jesus brought into a dark world.
Today we light the first candle of Advent, the candle of Hope. This is a time when we need hope more than ever. Our world is suffering, and we look for the coming of Christ with hope. We are reminded today that just one candle can show the way, one candle can light the way as we seek hope. Hope for a new energy, a new healing of body and mind, a new way of thinking, and a new world.
Isiah 9:2 “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.”
ALL: On this day, we remember to look for the coming of Christ with HOPE.
HYMN (on the screen—tune of ‘Away in the Manger’)
A candle is burning, a flame warm and bright,
A candle of hope in December’s dark night,
While angels sing blessings from heaven’s dark sky,
Our hearts we prepare now for Jesus is nigh.
CALL TO CONFESSION
We have all sinned, not one of us is clean; but there is mercy for thosewho call on the name of the Lord. Trusting in God’s grace, let us confess our sin.
PRAYER OF CONFESSION
Restore us, O God of hosts. Let your face shine, that we may be saved. Save us, O Lord, from traps of our own creating: from fear that blocks the way of love, from worry that blocks the way of joy, from isolation that blocks the way of relationship, from structural injustices that keep the world bound. Forgive us, O God of hosts, until the stars fall from heaven and we live as people transformed.
ASSURANCE OF PARDON
Every valley is lifted up; every mountain, made low. Now the glory of the Lord is revealed, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken. In the name of Jesus Christ, we are forgiven!
Thanks be to God.
GLORIA PATRI
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
World without end. Amen, Amen.
CHILDREN’S SERMON
PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION
Holy God, our hope and strength, by the power of your Spirit prepare the way in our hearts for the coming of your Word, so that we may see the glorious signs of your promise fulfilled; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
SCRIPTURE READING
A voice is crying in the wilderness: Listen to the word of the Lord.
Isaiah 64:1–9
1 Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down,
that the mountains would tremble before you!
2 As when fire sets twigs ablaze
and causes water to boil,
come down to make your name known to your enemies
and cause the nations to quake before you!
3 For when you did awesome things that we did not expect,
you came down, and the mountains trembled before you.
4 Since ancient times no one has heard,
no ear has perceived,
no eye has seen any God besides you,
who acts on behalf of those who wait for him.
5 You come to the help of those who gladly do right,
who remember your ways.
But when we continued to sin against them,
you were angry.
How then can we be saved?
6 All of us have become like one who is unclean,
and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags;
we all shrivel up like a leaf,
and like the wind our sins sweep us away.
7 No one calls on your name
or strives to lay hold of you;
for you have hidden your face from us
and have given us over to our sins.
8 Yet you, Lord, are our Father.
We are the clay, you are the potter;
we are all the work of your hand.
9 Do not be angry beyond measure, Lord;
do not remember our sins forever.
Oh, look on us, we pray,
for we are all your people.
Psalm 80:1–7, 17–19
1 Hear us, Shepherd of Israel,
you who lead Joseph like a flock.
You who sit enthroned between the cherubim,
shine forth
2 before Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh.
Awaken your might;
come and save us.
3 Restore us, O God;
make your face shine on us,
that we may be saved.
4 How long, Lord God Almighty,
will your anger smolder
against the prayers of your people?
5 You have fed them with the bread of tears;
you have made them drink tears by the bowlful.
6 You have made us an object of derision to our neighbors,
and our enemies mock us.
7 Restore us, God Almighty;
make your face shine on us,
that we may be saved.
17 Let your hand rest on the man at your right hand,
the son of man you have raised up for yourself.
18 Then we will not turn away from you;
revive us, and we will call on your name.
19 Restore us, Lord God Almighty;
make your face shine on us,
that we may be saved.
1 Corinthians 1:3–9
3 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 4 I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. 5 For in him you have been enriched in every way—with all kinds of speech and with all knowledge— 6 God thus confirming our testimony about Christ among you. 7 Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. 8 He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Mark 13:24–37
24 “But in those days, following that distress,
“‘the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light;
25 the stars will fall from the sky,
and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’
26 “At that time people will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. 27 And he will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens.
28 “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. 29 Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that it is near, right at the door. 30 Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
32 “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33 Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. 34 It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with their assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch.
35 “Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. 36 If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. 37 What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’”
Heaven and earth will pass away but the word of the Lord stands forever.
Thanks be to God.
SERMON - HOPE ELIZABETH FOX, CRE
ASCRIPTION OF PRAISE
Now to the God of all wisdom, who strengthens us according to the gospel,
through Jesus Christ be all glory forever. Amen.
Romans 16:25–27
HYMN # 82 (Red) ‘COME, THOU LONG EXPECTED JESUS’
Come, thou long expected Jesus, born to set thy people free;
from our fears and sins release us, let us find our rest in thee.
Israel's strength and consolation, hope of all the earth thou art;
dear desire of every nation, joy of every longing heart.
Born thy people to deliver, born a child and yet a King,
born to reign in us forever, now thy gracious kingdom bring.
By thine own eternal Spirit rule in all our hearts alone;
by thine all sufficient merit, raise us to thy glorious throne.
AFFIRMATION OF FAITH
Out of Israel, God in due time raised up Jesus. His faith and obedience were the response of the perfect child of God. He was the fulfillment of God’s promise to Israel, the beginning of the new creation, and the pioneer of the new humanity. He gave history its meaning and direction and called the church to be his servant for the reconciliation of the world.
Adapted from the Confession of 1967, 9.19
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
Responses: Lord for the joy, we give you thanks.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
INVITATION TO OFFERING
All things in heaven and earth belong to God, who is coming in glory to reveal a new creation. Therefore, let us offer our lives to the Lord. 2 Peter 3:8–15
*DOXOLOGY
Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen
PRAYER OF DEDICATION
God Most High, receive the gifts of our lives as an offering of gratitude for your grace. Overshadow us with your Holy Spirit and let it be with us according to your word, for nothing is impossible with you. Amen.
Luke 1:35–38; 1 Corinthians 1:4
COMMUNION
INVITATION TO THE TABLE
PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING
The Lord be with you. And also with you.
Lift up your hearts. We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
Blessed are you, O Lord our God:
The heavens tremble and the mountains quake at your presence.
Although we have forsaken you, you have never forgotten us:
you are the potter and we are the clay, the work of your hand.
Therefore we praise you, joining the song
of the universal church and the heavenly choir:
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,
Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is Jesus Christ, our Savior:
Christ Jesus is our grace and peace, the Word that we proclaim,
the source of all our strength, and the giver of every good gift.
In Christ’s body, we have received fellowship with you, our God.
We give you thanks that on the night of his arrest Jesus took bread, and after giving thanks to you, he broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying: Take, eat. This is my body, given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.
In the same way he took the cup, saying:
This cup is the new covenant sealed in my blood, shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. Whenever you drink it, do this in remembrance of me.
Dying, you destroyed our death; rising, you restored our life. O, Lord Jesus, come in glory! Hosanna in the highest!
Great is the mystery of faith:
Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.
Gracious God, pour out your Holy Spirit upon us and upon these your gifts of bread and wine that they may be for us the body and blood of Christ and that we may be his body for the world.
By your Spirit unite us with Christ and one another until we feast with him and with all your saints in your eternal realm of justice and peace.
Through Christ, with Christ, in Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor are yours, almighty God, now and forever. Amen.
As our Savior Christ has taught us, we are bold to pray:
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your anime, 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.
Remembering your goodness and grace, we offer ourselves to you with gratitude as we share this joyful feast.
Pour out your Holy Spirit upon us and upon this bread and cup; make us one in the body and blood of Jesus Christ our Lord. Keep us awake until the hour of Christ’s coming, when the sun and moon and stars will fall from heaven and you will gather up the faithful from the ends of the earth. Through the Lord Jesus Christ, in the unity of the Spirit, we bless you, God of glory, now and forever. Amen
BREAKING THE BREAD
COMMUNION OF THE PEOPLE
PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
God our hope, we give you thanks that you have given us this foretaste of the justice, righteousness, and peace of your promised new creation. Strengthen us with this heavenly food as we seek to serve your holy realm. Lead us to live in joyful expectation of the coming again in glory of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
HYMN #104 (RED) ‘O LORD, HOW SHALL I MEET YOU’
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, a 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.
O love beyond all telling, that led you to embrace
in love, all love excelling, our lost and fallen race.
You come, O Lord, with gladness in mercy and goodwill,
to bring an end to sadness and bid our fears be still.
In patient expectation we live for that great day
when your renewed creation your glory shall display.
BLESSING AND CHARGE
May the God of peace make you holy and the power of the Spirit sustain you until the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Alleluia!
1 Thessalonians 5:16–24
Prepare the way of the Lord! Amen.
Isaiah 40:3; Mark 1:3
POSTLUDE O Blessed Emmanuel, J.S. Bach/Thompson