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OPENING MUSIC O Morning Star, How Fair and Bright!
Paul Manz
Bright and Glorious is the Sky
David N. Johnson
Please meditate on the
text of the hymns as they are played:
1 O
Morning Star, how fair and bright!
You
shine with God’s own truth and light,
aglow
with grace and mercy!
Of
Jacob’s race, King David’s Son,
our
Lord and master, you have won
our
hearts to serve you only!
Lowly,
holy!
Great
and glorious,
all
victorious,
rich
in blessing!
Rule
and might o’er all possessing!
2 Come,
heav’nly bridegroom, light divine,
and
deep within our hearts now shine;
there
light a flame undying!
In
your one body let us be
as
living branches of a tree,
your
life our lives supplying.
Now,
though daily
earth’s
deep sadness
may
perplex us
and
distress us,
yet
with heav’nly joy you bless us.
3 Lord,
when you look on us in love,
at
once there falls from God above
a
ray of purest pleasure.
Your
word and Spirit, flesh and blood
refresh
our souls with heav’nly food.
You
are our dearest treasure!
Let
your mercy
warm
and cheer us!
Oh,
draw near us!
For
you teach us
God’s
own love through you has reached us.
4 Almighty
Father, in your Son
you
loved us, when not yet begun
was
this old earth’s foundation!
Your
Son has ransomed us in love
to
live in him here and above:
this
is your great salvation.
Alleluia!
Christ
the living,
to
us giving
life
forever,
keeps
us yours and fails us never!
5 What
joy to know, when life is past,
the
Lord we love is first and last,
the
end and the beginning!
He
will one day, oh, glorious grace,
transport
us to that happy place
beyond
all tears and sinning!
Amen!
Amen!
Come,
Lord Jesus!
Crown
of gladness!
We
are yearning
for
the day of your returning.
6 Oh,
let the harps break forth in sound!
Our
joy be all with music crowned,
our
voices gaily blending!
For
Christ goes with us all the way--
today,
tomorrow, ev’ry day!
His
love is never ending!
Sing
out! Ring out!
Jubilation!
Exultation!
Tell
the story!
Great
is he, the King of glory!
Text: Philipp Nicolai, 1556-1608; tr. Lutheran
Book of Worship, 1978
© 1978 Lutheran Book of Worship,
admin. Augsburg Fortress
1 Bright and glorious is the sky,
radiant are the heavens high
where the golden stars are
shining.
All their rays to earth
inclining
beckon us to heav’n above,
2 On that holy Christmas night
through the darkness beamed a
light;
all the stars above were paling,
all their luster slowly failing
as the Christmas star drew nigh,
3 Sages from the East afar,
when they saw this wondrous
star,
went to find the king of nations
and to offer their oblations
unto him as Lord and King,
4 Him they found in Bethlehem,
yet he wore no diadem;
they but saw a maiden lowly
with an infant pure and holy
resting in her loving arms,
5 Guided by the star, they found
him whose praise the ages sound.
We too have a star to guide us
which forever will provide us
with the light to find our Lord.
6 As a star, God’s holy word
leads us to our King and Lord;
brightly from its sacred pages
shall this light throughout the
ages
shine upon our path of life.
Text: Nikolai F. S. Grundtvig, 1783-1872;
tr. Service Book and Hymnal, 1958, alt.
© 1958 Service Book and Hymnal,
admin. Augsburg Fortress
THE HOLY COMMUNION
Stand
APOSTOLIC
GREETING
Alleluia! Unto
us a child is born.
Unto us a
Son is given! Alleluia!
The grace of our
Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God,
and the
communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
And also
with you.
KYRIE
ELEISON
In peace, let us pray to the Lord. Lord, have mercy.
For the peace from above,
and for our salvation, let us pray to the
Lord. Lord, have mercy.
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. Lord, have mercy.
For this holy house,
and for all who offer here their worship and
praise,
let us pray to the Lord. Lord, have mercy.
Help, save, comfort and defend us, gracious Lord. Amen
HYMN OF PRAISE Gloria in excelsis Deo
Glory to God in the highest, and peace to his
people on earth.
(Luke 2:14)
Lord God, heavenly king, almighty God and Father:
We
worship you, we give you thanks,
we praise you
for your glory.
Lord
Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father,
Lord God, Lamb
of God:
You
take away the sin of the world; have mercy on us.
You
are seated at the right hand of the Father;
receive our
prayer.
For
you alone are the Holy One, you alone are the Lord,
you
alone are the Most High,
Jesus
Christ, with the Holy Spirit,
in the glory of
God the Father. Amen
PRAYER
OF THE DAY
The Lord be with
you.
And
also with you.
Lord God, on this day you revealed your Son to the
nations by the leading of a star. Lead us now by faith to know your presence in
our lives, and bring us at last to the full vision of your glory, through your
Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.
Amen
CALL TO THE WORD
The news of the boundless riches of Christ
has been brought even to us.
Let us hear the Word of the
Lord.
Sit
First Reading Isaiah
60:1-6
1Arise, shine; for your light
has come,
and the glory of the Lord has
risen upon you.
2For darkness shall cover the earth,
and thick darkness the peoples;
but the Lord will arise upon you,
and his glory will appear over you.
3Nations shall come to your light,
and kings to the brightness of your dawn.
4Lift up your eyes and look around;
they all gather together, they come to you;
your sons shall come from far away,
and your daughters shall be carried on their nurses’ arms.
5Then you shall see and be radiant;
your heart shall thrill and rejoice,
because the abundance of the sea shall be brought to you,
the wealth of the nations shall come to you.
6A multitude of camels shall cover you,
the young camels of Midian and Ephah;
all those from Sheba shall come.
They shall bring gold and frankincense,
and shall proclaim the praise of the Lord.
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
PSALM 72:1-7,
10-14
The psalm is read responsively between the pastor
and the people.
All kings shall bow
down before him. Psalm
72:11
1 Give the king your jus- | tice, O God,*
and your righteousness to | the
king's son;
2 that he may rule your |
people righteously*
and
the | poor with justice;
3 that the mountains may bring prosperity | to the
people,*
and the little | hills bring righteousness.
4 He shall defend the needy
a- | mong the people;*
he
shall rescue the poor and crush | the oppressor.
5 He shall live as long as the sun and | moon
endure,*
from one generation | to
another.
6 He shall come down like
rain upon | the mown field,*
like
showers that wa- | ter the earth.
7 In his time shall the | righteous flourish;*
there shall be abundance of
peace
till the moon shall | be no more.
10 The kings of Tarshish and
of the isles | shall pay tribute,*
and
the kings of Arabia and Saba | offer gifts.
11 All kings shall bow | down before him,*
and all the nations | do him
service.
12 For he shall deliver the
poor who cries out | in distress,*
and
the oppressed who | has no helper.
13 He shall have pity on the low- | ly and poor;*
he shall preserve the lives | of
the needy.
14 He shall redeem their lives
from oppres- | sion and violence,*
and
dear shall their blood be | in his sight.
All
kings shall bow down before him. Psalm
72:11
Second Reading Ephesians 3:1-12
1This is the reason that I Paul
am a prisoner for Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles—2for
surely you have already heard of the commission of God’s grace that was given
me for you, 3and how the mystery was made known to me by revelation,
as I wrote above in a few words, 4a reading of which will enable you
to perceive my understanding of the mystery of Christ. 5In former
generations this mystery was not made known to humankind, as it has now been
revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: 6that is,
the Gentiles have become fellow heirs, members of the same body, and sharers in
the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
7Of this gospel I have become a servant according to the gift of
God’s grace that was given me by the working of his power. 8Although
I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given to me to bring to
the Gentiles the news of the boundless riches of Christ, 9and to
make everyone see what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who
created all things; 10so that through the church the wisdom of God
in its rich variety might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in
the heavenly places. 11This was in accordance with the eternal
purpose that he has carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, 12in whom
we have access to God in boldness and confidence through faith in him.
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Stand
VERSE
Alleluia. We observed his star in
the East,
and have come to pay him
homage. Alleluia. Matthew 2:2
Gospel Matthew 2:1-12
The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew.
Glory to you, O Lord.
1In the time of King Herod,
after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to
Jerusalem, 2asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of
the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him
homage.” 3When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all
Jerusalem with him; 4and calling together all the chief priests and
scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. 5They
told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet:
6‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler
who is to shepherd my people Israel.’ ”
7Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them
the exact time when the star had appeared. 8Then he sent them to
Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have
found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.” 9When
they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star
that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the
child was. 10When they saw that the star had stopped, they were
overwhelmed with joy. 11On entering the house, they saw the child
with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening
their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
12And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they
left for their own country by another road.
The
Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, O Christ.
Sit
SERMON
HYMN OF THE DAY
The First Noel
Please meditate on the text of the hymn as
it is played.
1 The first Noel the
angel did say
was to certain poor
shepherds in fields as they lay;
in fields where they
lay, keeping their sheep,
on a cold winter's
night that was so deep.
Refrain
Noel,
Noel, Noel, Noel!
Born is the King of Israel.
2 They looked up and saw
a star
shining in the east
beyond them far;
and to the earth it
gave great light,
and so it continued
both day and night. Refrain
3 And by the light of
that same star
three wise men came
from country far;
to seek for a king
was their intent,
and to follow the
star wherever it went. Refrain
4 This star drew near to
the northwest,
o'er Bethlehem it
took its rest;
and there it did both
stop and stay
right over the place
where Jesus lay. Refrain
5 Then entered in those
wise men three,
full rev'rently upon
their knee,
and offered there in
his presence
their gold, and
myrrh, and frankincense. Refrain
Text:
English traditional
Stand
CONFESSION OF
FAITH
The pastor and people confess the faith of the Church in the words of the
Nicene Creed.
X At the words ‘For us and for our salvation,’ and
continuing through ‘and was made man,’ a solemn bow is appropriate to praise the incarnation of our Lord.
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.
X For us and
for our salvation
he came down
from heaven;
by the power of
the Holy Spirit
he became
incarnate from the virgin Mary, and
was made man. X
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered
death and was buried.
On the third day
he rose again
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
PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH
Let us pray for
the whole people of God in Christ Jesus, and for all people according to their
needs.
A brief silence
For the Church,
that living in the light of your Son’s appearing, we may come to him with joy,
offering the gifts we have been given. Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
For this
congregation, that in service to each other and to our neighbors, we may
radiate the light of Christ as witnesses to his epiphany. Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
For our elders
and council members: that they might know your love and that their service
might be pleasing to you. Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
For the leaders
of our nation: that they may look to you for wisdom and strength, and exercise
their offices faithfully. Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
With
thanksgiving for mercies given, we pray for the peoples of the world; those who
are poor in body, mind or spirit; for those whose faith grows cold; for those
who work in hospitals, nursing homes, and as first responders, and for all who
suffer from any illness of body, mind, or spirit.
The People may offer silent or spoken intercessions
and thanksgivings.
Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
May we, who have believed our Lord’s appearing, rejoice with all the
saints and our departed loved ones when he appears again to judge the living
and the dead. Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
Into your hands,
Father, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in your steadfast love,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen
Peace
Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given,
and his name shall be called the Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6
The peace of the Lord be with you always.
And also with you.
The people exchange a sign of peace
with the simple words, Peace be with you.
Sit
The Lord’s Table is prepared.
Stand
PRAYER
OF PREPARATION
Lord, accept
your people’s gifts,
not gold,
frankincense, or myrrh,
but hearts and
voices raised in praise of Jesus Christ,
our light and
our salvation.
Amen
GREAT 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 him thanks and
praise.
It is indeed right and salutary that we should at all times
and in all places offer thanks and praise to you, O
Lord, holy Father, almighty and ever-living God.
In the
incarnation of your Son, a new light has dawned upon the world, that all the
nations may be brought out of darkness to see the radiance of your glory.
And so,
with the Church on earth and the hosts of heaven,
we praise your name and join their unending hymn:
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! (Isaiah 6:3, Matthew 21:9)
The pastor leads the
people in praying the Eucharistic canon:
You are indeed holy, O
God.
You surround us with your
glory and mercy,
and in the splendor of
your heavenly light
you lead us through the
darkness of this world.
You led your people
Israel by a pillar of fire,
as you delivered them
from bondage
and brought them to the
promised land.
By the light of
Bethlehem's star
you led the sages to your
beloved Son,
revealing him to the
nations as King of kings and Lord of lords.
In words, signs and
wonders
your Son gave the light
of hope to the disappointed
and healing to the
disenchanted.
Then, at the appointed
time,
he stretched out his
hands on the cross,
showing forth the
brilliance of a life freely given,
that all may have life in
him.
In the night in which He was betrayed
our
Lord Jesus took bread and gave thanks,
broke
it, and gave it to His disciples, saying:
Take
and eat; this is my Body, given for you.
Do this for the remembrance of me.
Again, after supper, He took the cup, gave thanks,
and
gave it for all to drink, saying:
This
cup is the new covenant in my Blood,
shed
for you and for all people for the forgiveness of sin.
Do this for the remembrance of me.
In joy we proclaim the
mystery of our faith:
Christ
has died.
Christ
is risen.
Christ
will come again.
Gracious Father, we give
you our thanks
for the light of our
Lord's passion
and his victory over the
grave.
We rejoice that you have
made us your people,
objects of Christ's
redeeming love.
We pray that by your Holy
Spirit
you will bless and
sanctify this Holy Communion,
that we may be illumined
in faith
as we partake of Christ's
body and blood,
renewed in the
forgiveness of sins.
and joyous in our hope
for your eternal kingdom.
Through
him, with him, in him,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
all honor and glory is yours,
almighty Father,
now and forever. Amen
The One who was born in
Bethlehem is now here in our midst.
By the power of his Spirit, we
pray to his Father, saying:
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
We have found him who gives light to the nations,
and have come to do him homage.
Thanks be to God.
We adore Christ with the words of the Agnus Dei (Lamb of God).
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. John 1:29, see also Luke 17:13
Sit
DISTRIBUTION
Admission to the Sacrament is by invitation of the
Lord, presented through the Church to those who are baptized.
They may receive the Lord’s Body and Blood who
are baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
who commune in their home churches, and who believe that Jesus Christ,
crucified and risen, is truly present in, with, and under the forms of bread
and wine for the forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation.
The communicants will be
invited forward one family unit at a time. Please do not come forward until the
pastor directs you to come forward, do not approach all the way to the table
until the pastor has retreated, and please do not remove your mask until you
have reached the table with the elements on it.
When the pastor says ‘The body of Christ,
given for you,’ eat the bread. When the pastor says, ‘The blood of Christ, shed
for you,’ drink the wine. Please take
the plate and the glass(es) and place them on the table that is indicated.
Please put your mask on before returning to your seat.
Please meditate on the text of
the hymn as it is played.
We Three Kings of Orient Are
1 We
three kings of Orient are;
bearing
gifts we traverse afar,
field
and fountain, moor and mountain,
following
yonder star.
Refrain Oh, star of wonder, star of night,
star
with royal beauty bright;
westward
leading, still proceeding,
guide
us to thy perfect light!
2 Born
a king on Bethlehem’s plain,
gold
I bring to crown him again;
king
forever, ceasing never,
over
us all to reign. Refrain
3 Frankincense
to offer have I;
incense
owns a deity nigh;
prayer
and praising, gladly raising,
worshiping
God Most High. Refrain
4 Myrrh
is mine; its bitter perfume
breathes
a life of gathering gloom;
sorrowing,
sighing, bleeding, dying,
sealed
in the stone-cold tomb. Refrain
5 Glorious
now behold him arise,
King
and God and Sacrifice;
heav’n
sings alleluia:
alleluia
the earth replies. Refrain
Text:
John Henry Hopkins Jr., 1820-1891, alt.
When all have received, the congregation stands at the
direction of the pastor.
The body and blood of our Lord
Jesus Christ strengthen you and keep you in his grace.
Amen
Lord, now you let your servant
go in peace;
your word has been fulfilled.
My own eyes have seen the
salvation
which you have prepared in the
sight of every people:
A light to reveal you to the
nations
and the glory of your people
Israel.
Glory 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
Song
of Simeon (Luke 2:29-32)
Lord God,
the bright splendor whom the nations seek:
may we who with the wise men have been drawn by
your light
discern the glory of your presence in your Son,
the Word made flesh, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen
BENEDICTION
God the
Father,
who led
the wise men by the shining of a star
to find
the Christ, the Light from light,
lead you
also in your pilgrimage to find the Lord.
Amen
God the
Son,
who
turned water into wine at the wedding feast at Cana,
transform
your lives and make glad your hearts.
Amen
God the
Holy Spirit,
who came
upon the beloved Son
at his
baptism in the river Jordan,
pour out
his gifts on you
who have
come to the waters of new birth.
Amen
Almighty God, Father, X Son, and Holy Spirit,
bless you now and forever.
Amen
DISMISSAL
Go
in peace. Serve the Lord.
Thanks be to God!
CLOSING MUSIC O Morning
Star, How Fair and Bright
Please maintain social distance and remain
masked while exiting the building. Please sanitize your hands before leaving
the building.