Prelude
Greeting and Welcome
Lighting of the Candles – 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 of 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 Bethl’em’s baby boy.
Light one candle for love, one bright candle for love,
He brings love to ev’ry heart, He comes, He comes!
Hymn of Invocation – Once He Came in Blessing (LSB 333)
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.
Now He gently leads us;
With Himself He feeds us
Precious food from heaven,
Pledge of peace here given,
Manna that will nourish
Souls that they may flourish.
Soon will come that hour
When with mighty power
Christ will come in splendor
And will judgment render,
With the faithful sharing
Joy beyond comparing.
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.
Invocation
P: In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C: Amen.
Opening Sentences - Zephaniah 3:14a, 15b; 16b–17, 20
P: Sing aloud, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart.
C: The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst; you shall never again fear evil.
P: “Fear not, O Zion; let not your hands grow weak.
C: The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save;
P: He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you by His love;
C: He will exult over you with loud singing.
P: I will bring you in, at the time when I gather you together; for I will make you renowned and praised among all the peoples of the earth, when I restore your fortunes before your eyes,” says the Lord.
C: We worship You, O Lord!
Confession and Absolution - Psalm 25:6–7
P: Having emerged from the waters of Baptism as God’s new creation in Christ, we confess our sins to God and one another.
A time of silence is observed.
P: We confess to You, O Lord, that we are captive to sin in thought, word, and deed. We have wandered from You. Our wonderings have at times turned into doubts that drew us away from You.
C: Remember Your mercy, O Lord, and Your steadfast love, for they have been from of old.
P: Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions;
C: according to Your steadfast love remember me, for the sake of Your goodness, O Lord!
+ Word +
Introit
P: Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.
C: Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God,
P: who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, who keeps faith forever;
C: who executes justice for the oppressed, who gives food to the hungry.
P: The Lord sets the prisoners free; the Lord opens the eyes of the blind. The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down; the Lord loves the righteous.
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: Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.
Salutation and Prayer of the Day
P: The Lord be with you.
C: And also with you.
P: Let us pray. Lord Jesus Christ,
C: we implore You to hear our prayers
P: and to lighten the darkness of our hearts by Your gracious visitation;
C: for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
First Reading – Amos 3: 1-11
Hear this word that the Lord has spoken against you, O people of Israel, against the whole family that I brought up out of the land of Egypt:
“You only have I known of all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.
“Do two walk together, unless they have agreed to meet? Does a lion roar in the forest, when he has no prey? Does a young lion cry out from his den, if he has taken nothing? Does a bird fall in a snare on the earth, when there is no trap for it? Does a snare spring up from the ground, when it has taken nothing? Is a trumpet blown in a city, and the people are not afraid? Does disaster come to a city, unless the Lord has done it?
“For the Lord God does nothing without revealing his secret to his servants the prophets. The lion has roared; who will not fear? The Lord God has spoken; who can but prophesy?”
Proclaim to the strongholds in Ashdod and to the strongholds in the land of Egypt, and say, “Assemble yourselves on the mountains of Samaria, and see the great tumults within her, and the oppressed in her midst.”
“They do not know how to do right,” declares the Lord, “those who store up violence and robbery in their strongholds.”
Therefore thus says the Lord God: “An adversary shall surround the land and bring down your defenses from you, and your strongholds shall be plundered.”
P: This is the Word of the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
Epistle – Philippians 4:4–7
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
P: This is the Word of the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
Holy Gospel – Luke 7:18-28
P: The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke, the seventh chapter.
C: Glory to You, O Lord.
The disciples of John reported all these things to him. And John, calling two of his disciples to him, sent them to the Lord, saying, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” And when the men had come to him, they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to you, saying, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?’” In that hour he healed many people of diseases and plagues and evil spirits, and on many who were blind he bestowed sight. And he answered them, “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”
When John’s messengers had gone, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who are dressed in splendid clothing and live in luxury are in kings’ courts. What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is he of whom it is written, ‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you.’ I tell you, among those born of women none is greater than John. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.”
P: This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C: Praise to You, O Christ.
Apostles' Creed
C: 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.
Children’s Hymn – The King of Glory (LSB 227)
Refrain: The King of Glory comes, the nation rejoices;
Open the gates before Him, lift up your voices.
Who is the King of Glory; how shall we call Him?
He is Emmanuel, the Promised of ages. Refrain
In all of Galilee, in city or village,
He goes among His people curing their illness. Refrain
Children’s Sermon – Pastor Scott
Hymn of the Day – Prepare the Royal Highway (LSB 343)
Prepare the royal highway;
The King of kings is near!
Let ev’ry hill and valley
A level road appear!
Then greet the King of Glory
Foretold in sacred story: Refrain
Refrain: Hosanna to the Lord,
For He fulfills God’s Word!
God’s people, see Him coming:
Your own eternal king!
Palm branches strew before Him!
Spread garments! Shout and sing!
God’s promise will not fail you!
No more shall doubt assail you! Refrain
Then fling the gates wide open
To greet your promised king!
Your king, yet ev’ry nation
Its tribute too should bring.
All lands, bow down before Him!
All nations, now adore Him! Refrain
His is no earthly kingdom;
It comes from heav’n above.
His rule is peace and freedom
And justice, truth, and love.
So let your praise be sounding
For kindness so abounding: Refrain
Sermon
