GATHERING SONG “Awake, Awake ELW #242
ADVENT CANDLE LIGHTING
The Lord your God is in your midst, rejoicing over you with gladness, renewing you in love.
I will bring you home and restore your fortunes, says the Lord.
[Here relight the first two Advent candles.]
In this new light we give thanks to the Lord.
With joy you will draw waters from the wells of salvation.
We will rejoice in the Lord always.
We light a third candle to reveal the pathway to faithfulness.
[Here light the third candle.]
As a covenant people we will seek to live in the joy of the Lord.
Amen. Come Lord Jesus.
GATHERING SONG “On Jordan’s Bank the Baptist’s Cry” #249
CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS
Rejoicing in the good news that God and sinners are reconciled in Christ, let us confess our need for forgiveness.
Silence for reflection and self-examination.
God of everlasting love,
we confess that by our actions and by our neglect,
we have resisted your good and gracious will.
Free us from anxiety and distraction;
cast out our sin, and enter in;
give us a new birth of hope as we welcome the child born to save,
Christ the Lord. Amen
"You are my children; I am your Savior" says our God, who has redeemed you, who lifts you up and carries you all your days.
In mercy and lovingkindness God forgives you all your sins for the sake of Jesus, who delights to call us sisters and brothers. Amen
PRAYER OF THE DAY
Let us pray. Stir up our hearts, Lord God, to prepare the way of your only Son. By his coming give to all the people of the world knowledge of your salvation; through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
THE FIRST LESSON: Zephaniah 3:14-20
Sing aloud, O daughter Zion; shout, O Israel!
Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem!
The Lord has taken away the judgments against you, he has turned away your enemies.
The king of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst; you shall fear disaster no more.
On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem:
Do not fear, O Zion; do not let your hands grow weak.
The Lord, your God, is in your midst, a warrior who gives victory;
he will rejoice over you with gladness, he will renew you in his love;
he will exult over you with loud singing as on a day of festival.
I will remove disaster from you, so that you will not bear reproach for it.
I will deal with all your oppressors at that time.
And I will save the lame and gather the outcast, and I will change their shame into praise
and renown in all the earth.
At that time I will bring you home, at the time when I gather you;
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.
Word of God, word of life. Thanks be to God.
PSALM: Isaiah 12:2-6
Surely God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid,
for the Lord God is my strength and my might, and has become my salvation.
With joy you will draw water
from the wells of salvation.
And you will say in that day: Give thanks to the Lord, call on God’s name;
make known the deeds of the Lord among the nations; proclaim that this name is exalted.
Sing praises to the Lord, for he has done gloriously;
let this be known in all the earth.
Shout aloud and sing for joy, O royal Zion,
for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.
THE SECOND LESSON: Philippians 4:4–7
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry 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.
Word of God, word of life. Thanks be to God.
THE GOSPEL FOR THE DAY: Luke 3:7-18
John said to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruits worthy of repentance. Do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor’; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”
And the crowds asked him, “What then should we do?” In reply he said to them, “Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise.” Even tax collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, “Teacher, what should we do?” He said to them, “Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you.” Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what should we do?” He said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages.”
As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, John answered all of them by saying, “I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
So, with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people.
SERMON “What Then Should We Do?” Pastor Phil Wold
HYMN OF THE DAY “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” #257
PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION
THE SIGN OF PEACE IS SHARED
The peace of Christ be with you always. And also with you.
THE OFFERING AND OFFERING PRAYER
Let us pray. Blessed are you, O God, maker of all things. Through your goodness you have blessed us with these gifts: our selves, our time, and our possessions. Use us, and what we have gathered, in feeding the world with your love, through the one who gave himself for us, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
THE 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
BLESSING
SENDING SONG “Joy to the World” ELW #267
SENDING
Go in peace. Live the gospel. Thanks be to God.
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New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.