Nazareth Evangelical Lutheran

Church Reflecting on Today’s Worship

1711 Grant Street – Hopewell, VA By Pastor David Voss
23860
804-458-7994 |

Hymns for Today: LSB 361

LSB 934
LSB 935

Serving the Lord and His

People Today:
David Voss, Pastor
George Plvan, Guest Pastor
Betty Schneider, Organist
Kathy Petik, Lector
Joey Reierson, Acolyte
Joy Voss, Nursery
Mary was blessed: Blessed to give
Altar Team # 2
birth to the Son of God, blessed to be
Thelma Klein & Cindy Reierson
protected by Him in troubling times,
Usher Team # 6
blessed to see the fulfillment of God’s
Hobo & Charlene Logan,
promises fulfilled through Christ from
Andy & Kathy Petik
birth until death.
None of the blessings that Mary
This Week’s Ministry at Nazareth
received would have been known to
Dec 20 thru Dec 27
her or benefitted her without faith.
Today 9:30am Sunday School
Without faith, Mary would have been
10:30am Coffee
just another skeptic of the abundant
11:00am Worship
blessings that God bestowed upon her
Mon 9:00am Wrapping Gifts
and His people. Elizabeth appreciated
7:00pm Church Council
this fact as she revealed when she
Tue 9:30am TOPS
said, “And blessed is she who believed
Wed 7:00pm Choir Practice
that there would be a fulfillment of
Thurs 7:00pm ChristmasEveCandlelight
what was spoken to her from the
Fri 10:00am Christmas Day Service
Sun 9:30am Sunday School Lord.”
10:30am Coffee Wise Elizabeth shares with Mary
11:00am Worship/HC what is also meant for our ears. God
blesses you on this day through His
The Scripture Readings for Dec 25th: Word and His Sacrament. Blessed are
1st Reading: Is. 52:7-10 you when you believe that there is a
Epistle: Heb. 1:1-6(7-12) fulfillment of what God promises you
The Holy Gospel: John 1:1-14(15-18) through these gifts. By faith, you
The Scripture Readings for Dec 27th: receive the forgiveness of your sins
1st Reading: Ex. 13:1-3a, 11-15 and everlasting life through Mary’s
Epistle: Col. 3:12-17 child – the Son of God – Jesus Christ.
The Holy Gospel: Luke 2:22-40
CHILDREN’S NURSERY – Nazareth
provides a Nursery for children that are
4 years old and younger. When you
take your child to the Nursery, please fill
out one of the Information Sheets on
your child. It is important to know if your
child has allergies, if they are taking
medicine or if they need special
assistance. The forms will be located
outside of the Nursery door. It is also
important that you sign your child out or
make special arrangements with the
nursery attendant. The Nursery is
located on the first floor near the
sanctuary. If you need assistance to
locate the Nursery, please see an usher.
NURSERY SCHEDULE FOR DEC.:
You will notice that on December 24th,
December 25th and December 31st there
are no attendants in the Nursery during
this season. The Christmas Services
are structured around the family. If your
child needs to stretch his or her legs, the
Nursery will be open.
It’s a reality we have to face: flu season
has hit full force! We have provided
hand sanitizer for you in the narthex and
encourage you to use in on your way in
and out of Worship (or anytime you
enter or leave the church). Please
respect, without offense, anyone’s
desire not to shake hands during the
sharing of the peace. May God
graciously comfort all who have
contracted the flu thus far.
WELCOME BACK! - What a wonderful
blessing it is to have back with us Pastor
George and Vera Plvan. It is a gift to
host two devoted servants of the LORD
who love our Great Redeemer.
Beginning in the new church year, we
will be accepting individual prayer
requests to be spoken by the Pastor
during the Prayer of the Church. To
submit a name, please call or e-mail
Karen or Pastor Voss with the name and
nature of the prayer (for healing, for
comfort, etc.). If you have any
questions about this, please contact
Pastor Voss.
COFFEE FELLOWSHIP: Each Sunday
at 10:30am, we encourage you to get a
cup of coffee and join in the fellowship
at Nazareth. Whether it be your first
visit or someone who has been coming
here for many years—this is a great
opportunity to serve the Lord with
gladness. Coffee Fellowship is located
in the Adult Sunday School Room. All
are invited to come by. If you would be
willing to bring snacks to accompany the
coffee, please write your name on the
sheet posted outside the door.
Our “God 101” class has been very
popular with those looking for a no-
nonsense explanation of the basics of
Christianity. Join us, share your
thoughts, and feel free to ask Pastor
Voss tough questions because the truth
of God’s Grace is a wonderful thing to
explain! 9:30 AM in the Sanctuary.
PRAY FOR ONE ANOTHER!
Prayer List for the week of Dec 20, 2009
Lord, in Your mercy, hear us as we pray for …

For our Brothers and Sisters in Christ in Nursing Homes -

Mary Blaho, HHCC (229) Velma Fleming, HHCC (227)
Mildred Skroback, HHCC Mary Nemetz, In Charlottesville
Louis Harvey, BL (130) Phyllis Kane, Conover Nursing & Rehab Center
For our Brothers and Sisters in Christ who are home-bound -
Elsie Voda Mary Petik
For our members and friends serving our country in the military -
Bruce Layne Danny Petik Chris Graham Dustin Petik James Eckenrode
David Petik Scott Naumann Jeff & Stacy Crossen Courtney
Williams Jeffrey Head Steve Foxx Brandon Edwards Michael McKinzie
For our members and friends away at college –
Landry Doane Casey Davis Brandon Edwards
For our members who are sick, hospitalized or recuperating
Gerald Rayner & Family Betty & Al Schneider Rowena Carter Tina Doane
Leann Eckstein Annette Dry Ilse Appleby Jordan Layne Charlene
Logan Kay Grochowaski Barney Hampton
For our friends who are sick, hospitalized or recuperating
Darleene Farley Jonathan Weston Connie Williamson Rita Joyner
Joann Miller Jeff Walter Mark Black Francis Brinkley
Shelby Slayton Nick Doize Pastor Kane
For the Family of the Saints departed –
Billy Joyner
Fourth Sunday of Advent
Kyrie, p. 168
Hymn of Praise, “This is the Feast” p. 171
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.

P Let us pray.
…one God, now and forever.
C Amen.

Old Testament Reading Micah 5:2–5a

2
But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,
who are too little to be among the clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
one who is to be ruler in Israel,
whose origin is from of old,
from ancient days.
3
Therefore he shall give them up until the time
when she who is in labor has given birth;
then the rest of his brothers shall return
to the people of Israel.
4
And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the LORD,
in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God.
And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great
to the ends of the earth.
5
And he shall be their peace.
When the Assyrian comes into our land
and treads in our palaces,
then we will raise against him seven shepherds
and eight princes of men;
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.

Advent Season through the New Year.

Please Join us for Advent Service on
MEN & WOMEN BIBLE STUDIES: Our Wednesdays at 7:00pm.
Men and Women’s Wednesday Bible
Studies will take a break during the
IN OUR PRAYERS: As you probably
already know, former members Pastor
Mike & Phyllis Kane were in an
accident. Phyllis broke both of her
ankles and had to have surgery. Phyllis
will be off her feet for quite a while, but
is in the process of being released. We
have put them on our prayer list and will
keep you updated. We pray that God
will comfort them, heal them and give
them guidance down the road ahead.
The address to Conover Nursing &
Rehab Center is 920 4th St SW,
Conover, NC 28613-9679.
CHRISTMAS POINSETTIAS: Christmas
Poinsettias have been ordered for this
year. There is still time to bring your own
Poinsettia. Please call the Church
Secretary to schedule a time to bring it in.
ADVENT DEVOTIONS: The Advent
Devotions are available in the Narthex.
If you need assistance, please ask the
ushers. If you need additional copies,
please see the Church Secretary.
NEW YEARS EVE SERVICE: There will
be a New Years Eve Prayer Service on
December 31st at 7:00pm. Please join
us.
CHRISTMAS FAMILIES WRAPPING:
We will gather together on Monday,
December 21st at Nazareth Lutheran
Church in the Adult Sunday School
Room to wrap Christmas presents for
our three families. All are invited to
attend and help with the wrapping.
What a wonderful Stewardship
outreach!
YOUTH GROUP: The youth would like
to thank all of you who went Christmas
Caroling with us at the Hopewell Health
Care Center. What fun and fellowship
they had going around the center not to
mention the snacks that were brought
after the Caroling at Nazareth Lutheran
Church.
CHURCH COUNCIL: This is a reminder
that the Church Council will meet on
Monday, December 21st at 7:00pm in
the Adult Sunday School Room.
CHANGE OF ADDRESS:
Mr. Louis Harvey
5301 Plaza Drive, Rm. #130
Hopewell, VA 23860
Phone # 458-1454
STEWARDSHIP PLEDGE CARDS:
If you have not turned in your pledge
cards, please place them in the Offering
Plate.
 O Christmas Tree

The specific origin of the Christmas tree is lost in the dim and distant
past. It seems to be generally recognized that the people who lived in
what is now Germany were the first to develop the tradition of the
Christmas tree.

One tradition is that about 1000 years ago, in Germany, St. Boniface
came across a group of pagans worshipping under an oak tree. He was
so annoyed that he cut down the
tree. To his surprise, he found that a
fir tree grew in its place and the fir
was thereafter associated with the
primacy of the Christian faith.

Martin Luther is credited with first

placing candles on the Christmas
tree. After his banishment from the
Catholic church, he spent a great
deal of time walking through
the forests of evergreen conifers
thinking through his beliefs. The
candles are said to have represented
the stars which were seen by him
through the trees.

The custom of a decorated Christmas

tree appears to have started in
Britain in the early middle nineteenth
century. Albert, the Prince Consort to
Queen Victoria, brought the tradition
from his homeland of Saxe Coburg
which is now part of Germany. The
example set by royalty became a
general fashion.

(courtesy stboniface.org)
 Fourth Sunday of Advent – December 20, 2009
Order of Service: Divine Service – Setting Two

Prelude
Greeting and Sharing of the Peace
Hymn of Invocation LSB 361

Service of the Word

Confession and Absolution, p. 167
Introit 1 Sam. 2:1b, 2, 5b–7; antiphon: Luke 1:46b– 47
My soul magni- | fies the Lord,*
and my spirit rejoices in God my | Savior,
My mouth derides my | enemies,*
because I rejoice in your sal- | vation.
There is none holy | like the LORD;*
there is none besides you; there is no rock | like our God.
The barren has borne | seven,*
but she who has many children | is forlorn.
The LORD kills and | brings to life;*
he brings down to Sheol and | raises up.
The LORD makes poor and | makes rich;*
he brings low and | he exalts.
Glory be to the Father and | to the Son*
and to the Holy | Spirit;
as it was in the be- | ginning,*
is now, and will be forever. | Amen.
My soul magni- | fies the Lord,*
and my spirit rejoices in God my | Savior,

Hymn of the Day LSB 934

Sermon
Nicene Creed
Prayer of the Church
Offering and Offertory, p. 176

Service of the Sacrament

Preface, p. 177
Sanctus, p. 178
Prayer of Thanksgiving
Lord's Prayer, p. 179
The Words of Institution
Pax Domini, Agnus Dei, p. 180
Distribution
Post-Communion Canticle, “Thank the Lord”, p. 181
Post-Communion Collect, p. 183
Benediction
Closing Hymn LSB 935
Recessional

Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Two from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English
Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News
Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2006 Concordia Publishing House.

Explanation of the Lutheran Liturgy

This glossary of terms has been made available to describe the gift of liturgy and how it serves
the proclamation of the Gospel.
Absolution – A formal act by the pastor by the authority of Christ of pronouncing God's
forgiveness of sins.
Agnus Dei – A prayer to Jesus, the lamb of the Passover sacrifice which prefigured the
crucifixion.
Alleluia – An expression of praise, "Praise the Lord," from the Hebrew Hallelujah.
Benediction - A blessing from God at the conclusion of the worship service.
Baptism – Water and God’s Word poured upon the one who receives God’s Grace and the
promise of salvation (1 Peter 3:21).
Canticle - A biblical song, other than a Psalm. The most familiar canticles are the songs of
Zechariah (Luke 1:68-79) and Mary (Luke 1:46-55).
Confession - An acknowledgment of sin. Confessions of sin during the liturgy are general,
made by all the people. The church also provides for private confession.
Collect – A short liturgical prayer, variable according to the season of the church year and the
occasion.
Creed - A concise and formal statement of basic beliefs about God. The term is derived from
the Latin credo, "I believe." Creeds state important points of doctrine.
Hymn - A form of congregational song in praise of God, using important words that proclaim
what God has done and is actively doing for us through the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Introit - A psalm that is read by pastor and congregation. The term is from Latin, "to go in" or
"enter" as it fittingly leads us into the Service of the Word.
Kyrie – A supplication for the LORD to have mercy upon His people.
Lord's Prayer - This prayer of Jesus was given to his disciples as an example of how they should
pray. (See Matthew 6:9-13 and Luke 11:2-4)
Offering – An expression of thanksgiving and generosity for the mission of the church that is in
response to Christ's self-offering for our salvation.
Pax Domini - Latin for "peace of the Lord". Prior to the distribution of the Lord's body and
blood, the pastor blesses the people with these words.
Prayer – Intercessions to God that His gracious will may be done.
Salutation - This dialogue of greeting and response is based on Boaz's greeting to the reapers
in Ruth 2:4.
Sanctus - Based on the song of the seraphim (Isaiah 6:1-3).
Sermon – A proclamation of God’s Word by the pastor as it applies to the congregation with an
emphasis on rightly distinguishing God’s Law and Gospel.
Words of Institution – The spoken words of our Savior, Jesus Christ, used by the Holy Spirit to
present the body and blood of our savior in, with, and under the bread
OUR MISSION STATEMENT AT NLC: IN HIS HOUSE and FOR HIS WORK
A Community In Christ; Growing In Att Last Sunday 79 Att Last Year 89
Faith; Active In Love. Weekly Budget Needs $ 3,314.00
Received Last Week $ 1,315.60
Other Income $ 3,011.89
TO GOD BE THE GLORY!!!
DEC/JAN NURSERY ATTENDANTS
Dec 24 – No Attendant
Dec 25 – No Attendant
Dec 27 – Karen Van Worth
Dec 31 – No Attendant
Jan 3 – vacant
Jan 10 – vacant
STEWARDSHIP CORNER:
4th Sunday in Advent
Hebrews 10:5-10: Jesus repeatedly told
His disciples that He came to do His
Father’s will. As God’s Chief Steward
He used His time and energy to fulfill the
Father’s purposes. May the Holy Spirit
help us grow as Advent stewards who
use our time and resources in ways that
honor our Father in heaven and provide
help for our brothers and sisters in
Christ.
CHRISTMAS FAMILIES: We are
collecting items for our three Christmas
Families. The items are listed on the
back of a Christmas Card. Please take
a card off of the tree. When bringing the
item back to the church, tape the
Christmas Card on the package. Items
need to be in by Dec. 19th.
2010 CALENDARS: Our 2010
Calendars are available in the Narthex.
Please take one. If you need
assistance, you may ask an usher.
Choir Anthem
Epistle
5
Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said,
Thank you to J.T. Morris & Son for
providing these calendars to us.
INVITATION CARDS are available in
the Narthex in the clear stand on the
table next to the door. You are invited
to take an envelope. Inside you will find
two cards to leave with someone to
invite them to worship with us at
Nazareth. [You can return the
envelopes at any time for refills!] You
might want to carry them with you in
your wallet or purse, having them ready
to hand to someone you've met. You
might also want to consider leaving
them on the table if you go out to eat,
along with your tip and a cross.
Remember our job is to ignite the world
with Christ's Love!
CHRISTMAS is a wonderful time to get
together with family and friends for
fellowship. However, there are some
people including members of Nazareth
who will be unable to gather with family
and friends for the Christmas holiday.
Please remember those who are
hospitalized, shut-in or away at college
or on military assignment in your
prayers. If you can send a card, a letter
or just a note; make a telephone call or
a personal visit it would be very
meaningful for those who cannot be with
family and friends on Christmas. The
names of our hospitalized, shut-ins,
military and college members are listed
in our worship folder.
Hebrews 10:5–10
 “Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired,
but a body have you prepared for me;
6
in burnt offerings and sin offerings
you have taken no pleasure.
7
Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O God,
as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.’”
8
When he said above, “You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in
sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings” (these are
offered according to the law), 9then he added, “Behold, I have come to do
your will.” He abolishes the first in order to establish the second. 10And by
that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus
Christ once for all.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.

Alleluia and Verse, p. 173

Holy Gospel Luke 1:39–45
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke, the first chapter.
C Glory to You, O Lord.
39
In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a
town in Judah, 40and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted
Elizabeth. 41And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped
in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, 42and she
exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is
the fruit of your womb! 43And why is this granted to me that the mother of
my Lord should come to me? 44For behold, when the sound of your greeting
came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45And blessed is she
who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her
from the Lord.”
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C Praise to You, O Christ.