Prelude
Greeting and Welcome
Lighting of the Candles
Hymn of Invocation – What Child is This (LSB 370)
What child is this, who, laid to rest,
On Mary’s lap is sleeping?
Whom angels greet with anthems sweet
While shepherds watch are keeping?
This, this is Christ the king,
Whom shepherds guard and angels sing;
Haste, haste to bring Him laud,
The babe, the son of Mary!
Why lies He in such mean estate
Where ox and ass are feeding?
Good Christian, fear; for sinners here
The silent Word is pleading.
Nails, spear shall pierce Him through,
The cross be borne for me, for you;
Hail, hail the Word made flesh,
The babe, the son of Mary!
So bring Him incense, gold, and myrrh;
Come, peasant, king, to own Him.
The King of kings salvation brings;
Let loving hearts enthrone Him.
Raise, raise the song on high,
The virgin sings her lullaby;
Joy, joy, for Christ is born,
The babe, the son of Mary!
+ Preparation +
Invocation
P: In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C: Amen.
Confession and Absolution – Psalm 124:8; 130:3, adapt.; Luke 18:13
P: Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C: who made heaven and earth.
P: If You, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?
C: But with You there is forgiveness; therefore You are feared.
P: Since we are gathered this Christmas morning to hear God’s Word, to marvel at the mystery of the Word becoming flesh, and to receive Him as He comes to us in His body and blood, let us first consider our unworthiness before God and confess before Him and one another that we have sinned in thought, word, and deed. We cannot free ourselves from our sinful condition; only God’s Son, Jesus Christ, has set us free from our fears and failures, our sin and death, and He enables us to live forever as God’s children. Let us then take refuge in the infinite mercy of our God and, seeking His grace for the sake of Christ, say: God, be merciful to me, a sinner.
C: Almighty God, have mercy upon us, forgive us our sins, and lead us to everlasting life. Amen.
P: Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son, born into this world on Christmas, to live, suffer, die, and rise again for you. For Jesus’ sake, your heavenly Father forgives you all your sins. As your pastor, it is my privilege to announce this message of grace unto you and, as Christ has commanded, I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C: Amen.
+ Word +
Psalm – Psalm 98; antiphon: v. 2
C: The Lord has made known His salvation; He has revealed His righteousness in the sight of the nations.
P: Oh sing to the Lord a new song, for He has done marvelous things!
C: His right hand and His holy arm have worked salvation for Him.
P: The Lord has made known His salvation;
C: He has revealed His righteousness in the sight of the nations.
P: He has remembered His steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of Israel.
C: All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
P: Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth;
C: break forth into joyous song and sing praises! The Lord has made known His salvation; He has revealed His righteousness in the sight of the nations.
P: Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre,
C: with the lyre and the sound of melody!
P: With trumpets and the sound of the horn
C: make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord!
P: Let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
C: the world and those who dwell in it!
P: Let the rivers clap their hands; let the hills sing for joy together before the Lord, for He comes to judge the earth.
C: He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity. The Lord has made known His salvation; He has revealed His righteousness in the sight of the nations. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Salutation
P: The Lord be with you.
C: And also with you.
Prayer of the Day
P: Let us pray. Almighty God, grant that the birth of Your only-begotten Son in the flesh may set us free from the bondage of our sin
C: that we may rejoice in the salvation You have delivered unto us;
P: through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C: Amen.
First Reading – Isaiah 52:7–10
How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.”
The voice of your watchmen—they lift up their voice; together they sing for joy; for eye to eye they see the return of the Lord to Zion.
Break forth together into singing, you waste places of Jerusalem, for the Lord has comforted his people; he has redeemed Jerusalem. The Lord has bared his holy arm before the eyes of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.
P: This is the Word of the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
Second Reading – Hebrews 1:1–6
Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.
For to which of the angels did God ever say, “You are my Son, today I have begotten you”? Or again, “I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son”? And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says, “Let all God’s angels worship him.”
P: This is the Word of the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
Holy Gospel – John 1:1-14
P: The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the first chapter.
C: Glory to You, O Lord.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.
The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
P: This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C: Praise to You, O Christ.
Hymn of the Day – A Great and Mighty Wonder (LSB 383)
A great and mighty wonder,
A full and holy cure:
The virgin bears the infant
With virgin honor pure! Refrain
Refrain: 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. Refrain
While thus they sing your Monarch,
Those bright angelic bands,
Rejoice, O vales and mountains,
And oceans, clap your hands. Refrain
Since all He comes to ransom,
By all be He adored,
The infant born in Bethl’em,
The Savior and the Lord. Refrain
All idols then shall perish
And Satan’s lying cease,
And Christ shall raise His scepter,
Decreeing endless peace. Refrain
Sermon
Nicene Creed
I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth and of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of His Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made; who for us and for our salvation came down from heaven and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate. He suffered and was buried. And the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures and ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of the Father. And He will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead, whose kingdom will have no end.
And I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified, who spoke by the prophets. And I believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church, I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins, and I look for the resurrection of the dead and the life + of the world to come. Amen.
Prayer of the Church
P: Let us pray for the whole people of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
P: Wonderful Counselor, You govern all things with wisdom, righteousness, and truth. Grant to Your creation the joy of Your presence, that we may see You at work in our midst. Guide the nations of the earth to Your Son, that all would know Your salvation. Wherever the good news of great joy is announced this day, grant that lives are changed forever by the power of Your Holy Spirit. Let us pray to the Lord:
C: We rejoice that You have come unto us to draw us unto You.
P: Mighty God, Your power knows no limits. You reign over all things and yet, in Christ, You stoop down to save us. Give to us, Your Church, the power to declare Your mighty deeds throughout the world. Inspire us to fulfill our earthly callings so that, through our lives of joyful service, all would know of Your grace and mercy. Let us pray to the Lord:
C: We rejoice that You have come unto us to draw us unto You.
P: Everlasting Father, You embrace us and make us Your children through faith in Your only-begotten Son. Bless all those who, in any form of sickness or infirmity, need Your tender care. Heal the sick, bind up the brokenhearted, and grant Your saving power to all who rest in You. [This day we especially pray for names that they rejoice in the message of Christ coming into this world for them.] Let us pray to the Lord:
C: We rejoice that You have come unto us to draw us unto You.
P: Prince of Peace, You give to us what the world can never give. Drive out all fears and doubts. Deliver us from all enemies, seen and unseen. Grant us solace in Him whose blood has set us free that we would be Your people forever. Open our ears to the message of the angels: “Fear not! For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord!” Let us pray to the Lord:
C: We rejoice that You have come unto us to draw us unto You.
P: Fearing, loving, and trusting in You above all things, we entrust all of these prayers to Your mercy, O Lord, for the sake of Him whose birth we celebrate this day: Jesus Christ, our Lord.
C: Amen.
