| Prelude
Greeting and Welcome
Lighting of the Candles
Hymn of Invocation – Light One Candle (AGPS 163)
Light one candle for hope, One bright candle for hope, He brings hope to ev’ry heart, He comes! He comes!
Light one candle for peace, One bright candle for peace, He brings peace to ev’ry heart, He comes! He comes!
Light one candle for joy, One bright candle for joy, Ev’ry nation will find salvation In Beth’lem’s baby boy.
Light one candle for love, One bright candle for love, He brings love to ev’ry heart, He comes! He comes! He brings love to ev’ry heart, He comes! He comes!
+ Preparation +
Invocation P: In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit C: Amen.
Confession and Absolution P: If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. C: But if we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Silence for reflection on God's Word and for self-examination.
P: Let us then confess our sins to God our Father. C: Most merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean. We have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we have 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. We justly deserve Your present and eternal punishment. 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. P: Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. C: Amen.
+ Word +
Introit P: Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation. C: Who in the skies can be compared to the LORD? Who among the heavenly beings is like the LORD, P: Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; steadfast love and faithfulness go before you. C: Blessèd are the people who know the festal shout, who walk, O LORD, in the light of your face, P: who exult in your name all the day and in your righteousness are exalted. C: For our shield belongs to the LORD, our king to the Holy One of Israel. All: 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 P: Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation.
Kyrie P: In peace let us pray to the Lord. C: Lord, have mercy. P: For the peace from above and for our salvation let us pray to the Lord. C: Lord, have mercy. P: For the peace of the whole world, for the well-being of the Church of God, and for the unity of all let us pray to the Lord. C: Lord, have mercy. P: For this holy house and for all who offer here their worship and praise let us pray to the Lord. C: Lord, have mercy. P: Help, save, comfort, and defend us, gracious Lord. C: Amen.
Salutation and Collect of the Day P: The Lord be with you. C: And also with you. P: Let us pray. Stir up Your power, O Lord, and come, that by Your protection we may be rescued from the threatening perils of our sins and saved by Your mighty deliverance; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. C: Amen.
First Reading – Daniel 1:8-21 But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king’s food, or with the wine that he drank. Therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself. And God gave Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the chief of the eunuchs, and the chief of the eunuchs said to Daniel, “I fear my lord the king, who assigned your food and your drink; for why should he see that you were in worse condition than the youths who are of your own age? So you would endanger my head with the king.” Then Daniel said to the steward whom the chief of the eunuchs had assigned over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, “Test your servants for ten days; let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then let our appearance and the appearance of the youths who eat the king’s food be observed by you, and deal with your servants according to what you see.” So he listened to them in this matter, and tested them for ten days. At the end of ten days it was seen that they were better in appearance and fatter in flesh than all the youths who ate the king’s food. So the steward took away their food and the wine they were to drink, and gave them vegetables. As for these four youths, God gave them learning and skill in all literature and wisdom, and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. At the end of the time, when the king had commanded that they should be brought in, the chief of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar. And the king spoke with them, and among all of them none was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Therefore they stood before the king. And in every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters that were in all his kingdom. And Daniel was there until the first year of King Cyrus.
P: This is the Word of the Lord. C: Thanks be to God.
Epistle – 1 Thessalonians 3:9–13 What thanksgiving can we return to God for you, for all the joy that we feel for your sake before our God, as we pray most earnestly night and day that we may see you face to face and supply what is lacking in your faith? Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you, and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.
P: This is the Word of the Lord. C: Thanks be to God.
Holy Gospel – Luke 19:28-40 P: The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke, the nineteenth chapter. C: Glory to You, O Lord.
When he had said these things, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. When he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, he sent two of the disciples, saying, “Go into the village in front of you, where on entering you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever yet sat. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ you shall say this: ‘The Lord has need of it.’” So those who were sent went away and found it just as he had told them. And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, “Why are you untying the colt?” And they said, “The Lord has need of it.” And they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. And as he rode along, they spread their cloaks on the road. As he was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives—the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”
P: This is the Gospel of the Lord. C: Praise to You, O Christ.
Children’s Hymn – I Am Trusting Thee, Lord Jesus (LSB 729)
I am trusting Thee, Lord Jesus, Trusting only Thee; Trusting Thee for full salvation, Great and free.
I am trusting Thee to guide me; Thou alone shalt lead, Ev’ry day and hour supplying All my need.
I am trusting Thee, Lord Jesus; Never let me fall. I am trusting Thee forever And for all.
Children’s Message – Stephanie Chapa
Hymn of the Day – Jesus Shall Reign (LSB 832)
Jesus shall reign where’er the sun Does its successive journeys run; His kingdom stretch from shore to shore Till moons shall wax and wane no more.
To Him shall endless prayer be made, And endless praises crown His head; His name like sweet perfume shall rise With ev’ry morning sacrifice.
People and realms of ev’ry tongue Dwell on His love with sweetest song; And infant voices shall proclaim Their early blessings on His name.
Blessings abound where’er He reigns: The pris’ners leap, unloose their chains, The weary find eternal rest, And all who suffer want are blest.
Let ev’ry creature rise and bring Honors peculiar to our King; Angels descend with songs again, And earth repeat the loud amen.
Sermon
Apostles' Creed I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life + everlasting. Amen.
Prayers + Celebrating birthdays this week: 5 – Kathy Brugere, Sue Schultz; 7 – Hunter Lane, Jameson Richeson
Special Celebrations and Needs: + Church family members: Jean Peterson, recovering from breast cancer surgery; John & Miriam Lee, celebrating the birth of a grandchild; Paul Schultz, now in hospice; Sue DeFosset, with back issues; Gloria Nobis, recovering from knee surgery; Sherman Moore; Sharon Gaal, recovering from surgery; Ken Kight + Friends of our congregation: Karen, extended family member of Valerie Wehmueller, diagnosed with cancer; Barbara Huggins, in rehab + Those who are homebound or in nursing facilities: Twylah Atwood, Mary Aufderheide, Jules Bush, Frank & Sharon Gaal, Mary Guion, Jane Keathley, Vicki Lucas, Cindy Smith, Shirley Williams
Offering
Choral Offertory – Waiting for Bethlehem’s Light
Wait on a hillside in the peaceful, quiet night; Wait with the shepherds, soon startled with fright. Wait on a hillside and gaze at the star Soon to lead the wise men, travelers from a far. Waiting for hope, waiting for peace, Waiting for joy and for God’s perfect love. Advent is waiting, let candles burn bright. Advent is waiting for Bethlehem’s Light. Wait for the baby’s cry to pierce the silent night; Wait in the cattle stall for the Holy Child. Wait by the manger for such a joyous birth; Wait for the King of Kings, Savior of the earth. Waiting for hope, waiting for peace, Waiting for joy and for God’s perfect love. Advent is waiting, let candles burn bright. Advent is waiting. Advent is waiting for Bethlehem’s Light.
+ Sacrament +
Preface P: The Lord be with you. C: And also with you. P: Lift up your hearts. C: We lift them to the Lord. P: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. C: It is right to give Him thanks and praise. P: It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, whose way John the Baptist prepared, proclaiming Him the promised Messiah, the very Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, and calling sinners to repentance that they might escape from the wrath to be revealed when He comes again in glory. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of pow'r and might: Heaven and earth are full of Your glory. Hosanna, Hosanna. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest. Prayer of Thanksgiving P: Blessed are You, Lord of heaven and earth, for You have had mercy on those whom You created and sent Your only-begotten Son into our flesh to bear our sin and be our Savior. With repentant joy we receive the salvation accomplished for us by the all-availing sacrifice of His body and His blood on the cross. Gathered in the name and the remembrance of Jesus, we beg You, O Lord, to forgive, renew, and strengthen us with Your Word and Spirit. Grant us faithfully to eat His body and drink His blood as He bids us do in His own testament. Gather us together, we pray, from the ends of the earth to celebrate with all the faithful the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, which has no end. Graciously receive our prayers; deliver and preserve us. To You alone, O Father, be all glory, honor, and worship, with the Son and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. C: Amen.
The Words of Our Lord P: Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My + body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.” In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My + blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
Proclamation of Christ P: As often as we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes. C: Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. P: O Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, in giving us Your body and blood to eat and to drink, You lead us to remember and confess Your holy cross and passion, Your blessed death, Your rest in the tomb, Your resurrection from the dead, Your ascension into heaven, and Your coming for the final judgment. So remember us in Your kingdom and teach us to pray:
Lord’s Prayer 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.
Pax Domini P: The peace of the Lord be with you always. C: Amen.
Agnus Dei Lamb of God, You take away the sin of the world; have mercy on us. Lamb of God, You take away the sin of the world; have mercy on us. Lamb of God, You take away the sin of the world; grant us peace.
Distribution
Distribution Hymn – Lamb of God (LSB 550)
Your only Son, no sin to hide, But You have sent Him from Your side To walk upon this guilty sod, And to become the Lamb of God. Refrain
Refrain: O Lamb of God, sweet Lamb of God, I love the holy Lamb of God! O wash me in His precious blood, My Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God.
Your Gift of love they crucified, They laughed and scorned Him as He died: The humble King they named a fraud, And sacrificed the Lamb of God. Refrain
I was so lost, I should have died, But You have brought me to Your side To be led by Your staff and rod, And to be called a lamb of God. Refrain
Blessing
Thank the Lord Thank the Lord ans sing His praise; tell ev'ryone what He has done. Let all who seek the Lord rejoice and proudly bear His name. He recalls His promises and leads His people forth in joy with shouts of thanksgiving. Alleluia, alleluia. Post-Communion Collect P: Let us pray. We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. C: Amen.
Benediction P: The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you. The Lord look upon you with favor and + give you peace. C: Amen. Closing Hymn – O Come, O Come, Emmanuel (LSB 357)
O come, O come, Emmanuel, And ransom captive Israel, That mourns in lonely exile here Until the Son of God appear. Refrain
Refrain: Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel!
O come, Thou Wisdom from on high, Who ord’rest all things mightily; To us the path of knowledge show, And teach us in her ways to go. Refrain
O come, O come, Thou Lord of might, Who to Thy tribes on Sinai’s height In ancient times didst give the Law In cloud and majesty and awe. Refrain
O come, Thou Branch of Jesse’s tree, Free them from Satan’s tyranny That trust Thy mighty pow’r to save, And give them vict’ry o’er the grave. Refrain
O come, Thou Key of David, come, And open wide our heav’nly home; Make safe the way that leads on high, And close the path to misery. Refrain
O come, Thou Dayspring from on high, And cheer us by Thy drawing nigh; Disperse the gloomy clouds of night, And death’s dark shadows put to flight. Refrain
O come, Desire of nations, bind In one the hearts of all mankind; Bid Thou our sad divisions cease, And be Thyself our King of Peace. Refrain
Postlude
+ WORSHIP LEADERS + Preacher/Liturgist/Celebrant – Pastor Scott Jonas Organist/Pianist – Seth Carruthers Lector – Tim Cosby Communion – John Steele & Seminary Student Sound/Video – Jerry Nicolaus Ushers – Sandy Barbercheck, Lisa Grossenheider, Judy George, Becci Sasser Greeters – Greg & Karen Frimel | 
