2nd Sunday of Christmas

CALL TO WORSHIP - PSALM 8

O Lord our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!—

you whose glory is chanted above the heavens out of the mouths of infants and children; you have set up a fortress against your enemies, to silence the foe and avenger.

When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers,

the moon and the stars you have set in their courses,

what are mere mortals that you should be mindful of them,

human beings that you should care for them?

Yet you have made them little less than divine;

with glory and honor you crown them.

You have made them rule over the works of your hands;

you have put all things under their feet:

all flocks and cattle,

even the wild beasts of the field,

the birds of the air, the fish of the sea,

and whatever passes along the paths of the sea.

O Lord our Lord,

how majestic is your name in all the earth!

GATHERING SONG “From Heaven Above” #268 I know this is not a marvelous recording, but it conveys some of the sweetness Luther wrote in this Christmas Carol...

CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS

Blessed be the holy Trinity, ☩ one God,

Love from the beginning,

Word made flesh,

Breath of heaven.

Amen.

In the radiant light of God's presence, let us confess our sin before God and one another trusting in God’s endless mercy and love.

Silence for reflection and self-examination.

O merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in our failure to speak your truth and embrace your Justice.

We have sought our own comfort and security, and have neglected to care for the earth and the needy among us.

Have mercy on us, forgive us, and fill us with the light of your holy presence; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Christ the Lord is born for us, and in him you are forgiven.

Through your baptism into his death and resurrection you are reborn as children of God, heirs of everlasting life. Amen

PRAYER OF THE DAY

Let us pray. Eternal Father, you gave your incarnate Son the holy name of Jesus to be a sign of our salvation. Plant in every heart the love of the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

FIRST READING: Numbers 6:22-27

The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, Thus you shall bless the Israelites: You shall say to them,

The Lord bless you and keep you;

the Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you;

the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace.

So they shall put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.

Word of God, Word of life. Thanks be to God.

SECOND READING: Philippians 2:5-11

Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,

who, though he was in the form of God,

did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited,

but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave,

being born in human likeness.

And being found in human form,

he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death —

even death on a cross.

Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name

that is above every name,

so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend,

in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

and every tongue should confess

that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Word of God, Word of life. Thanks be to God.

GOSPEL: Matthew 1:18-21

The holy gospel according to Saint Matthew. Glory to you, O Lord.

Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

The gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, O Christ.

SERMON “He Will Save” Pastor Phil Wold

HYMN OF THE DAY “Good Christian Friends, Rejoice” # 288

NICENE CREED

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

BLESSING

SENDING SONG “O Come, All Ye Faithful” #283

SENDING

Go in peace. Live the gospel. Thanks be to God.

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.

Here are a few recordings that might well serve as beautiful "Postlude Music" - some final Christmas music as this season comes to a close on Wednesday with the 12th Day of Christmas.