GRACE LUTHERAN CHURCH (Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod) LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS December 8, 2010

Prelude

Fugue on the Magnificat (Second Tone) - Johann Pachelbel

Ringing of the Church Bell

THE ORDER OF EVENING PRAYER FOR THE WEEK OF THE SECOND SUNDAY IN ADVENT
PRAYER UPON ENTERING THE CHURCH O Lord, by Your Holy Spirits power stir up my heart to make ready the way for the coming of Jesus in all of His power and glory. Grant that I not fear that coming, but live my life in the confident hope of sins forgiven through His first coming and humbly seek to do Your will. I pray this in Jesus holy name. Amen AS WE GATHER In 1852 a Lutheran pastor, August Rische, wrote the hymn God Loves Me Dearly. While it may be best known as a childrens hymn, we are all Gods children and so it is a hymn that speaks to all of us who by grace have been made Gods heirs, adopted by Him in the waters of Holy Baptism. Pastor Rische wrote this hymn for youth who were basically abandoned to the streets. He wanted to establish a rescue home for them. Above all he wanted to comfort them with the beautiful Gospel promise that God loves me dearly, loves even me. During this season of Advent our mid-week theme is God Loves Me Dearly. The Scriptures declare that God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life. Theologically we call this objective justification. This is what God has done for all. This becomes our personally, subjective justification, as the Lord by the power of the Holy Spirit makes our hearts His home. So we look to the Gospel and its promises applied to our lives through His Word, Holy Baptism and Holy Communion (the Means of Grace) to see how the Lord makes this personal for each one of us. We personally rejoice in what He has done for us and then collectively we gather together to sing praises to God, offering Him our thanks, seeking to grow in His grace and walking in His ways to the glory of His holy name.

Service of Light
Stand

Versicles
P The Spirit and the Church cry out: C Come, Lord Jesus. P All those who await His appearance pray: C Come, Lord Jesus. P The whole creation pleads: C Come, Lord Jesus.

Phos Hilaron: O Light Whose Splendor

LSB 891

1989 Hope Publishing Co. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License .NET, no. 100011479.

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Thanksgiving For Light

P Blessed are You, O Lord, our God, king of the universe, who led Your people Israel by a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. Enlighten our darkness by the light of Your Christ; may His Word be a lamp to our feet and a light to our path; for You are merciful, and You love Your whole creation and we, Your creatures, glorify You, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. C Amen

P I will not accept a bull from your house C or goats from your folds. P For every beast of the forest is mine, C the cattle on a thousand hills. P I know all the birds of the hills, C and all that moves in the field is mine. P If I were hungry, I would not tell you, C for the world and its fullness are mine.

Psalmody
Psalm
Psalm 50:115

P Do I eat the flesh of bulls C or drink the blood of goats? P Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, C and perform your vows to the Most High, P and call upon me in the day of trouble; C I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me. C 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
Sit

P The Mighty One, God the LORD, C speaks and summons the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting. P Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, C God shines forth. P Our God comes; he does not keep silence; C before him is a devouring fire, around him a mighty tempest. P He calls to the heavens above C and to the earth, that he may judge his people: P Gather to me my faithful ones, C who made a covenant with me by sacrifice! P The heavens declare his righteousness, C for God himself is judge! P Hear, O my people, and I will speak; C O Israel, I will testify against you. I am God, your God. P Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you; C your burnt offerings are continually before me.

Readings
Old Testament Reading
Malachi 4:16

For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble. The day that is coming shall set them ablaze, says the LORD of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall. And you shall tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet, on the day when I act, says the LORD of hosts.

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Remember the law of my servant Moses, the statutes and just decrees that I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel. Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes. And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction. P O Lord, have mercy on us. C Thanks be to God.

Sit

Hymn: Rejoice, Rejoice, Believers

LSB 515

Stand

The Holy Gospel

Luke 1:2638

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgins name was Mary. And he came to her and said, Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you! But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end. And Mary said to the angel, How will this be, since I am a virgin? And the angel answered her, The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holythe Son of God. And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God. And Mary said, Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word. And the angel departed from her. P O Lord, have mercy on us. C Thanks be to God.

Public domain

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Sermon Gods Saving Love Stirs up My Heart

Malachi 4:16

Canticle
Magnificat: My Soul Rejoices LSB 933

[Stir up our hearts, O Lord, to make ready the way of Your onlybegotten Son, that by His coming we may be enabled to serve You with pure minds; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen]

Catechesis
P What is the Office of the Keys? C The Office of the Keys is that special authority which Christ has given to His Church on earth to forgive the sins of repentant sinners, but to withhold forgiveness from the unrepentant as long as they do not repent. P Where is this written? C This is what St. John the Evangelist writes in chapter twenty: The Lord Jesus breathed on His disciples and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven." (John 20:2223) P What do you believe according to these words? C I believe that when the called ministers of Christ deal with us by His divine command, in particular when they exclude openly unrepentant sinners from the Christian congregation and absolve those who repent of their sins and want to do better, this is just as valid and certain, even in heaven, as if Christ our dear Lord dealt with us Himself.

Offering

Rejoice, Rejoice, Believers - Paul Manz

Stand

1991 Stephen P. Starke. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License .NET, no. 100011479. Public domain

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Prayer
Litany
Service Note: The congregation's response may begin just as the leader's petition ends so that the word "Lord" is sung simultaneously by both leader and congregation.

P For those who bring offerings, those who do good works in this congregation, those who toil, those who sing, and all the people here present who await from the Lord great and abundant mercy, let us pray to the Lord: C Lord, have mercy. P For favorable weather, for an abundance of the fruits of the earth, and for peaceful times, let us pray to the Lord: C Lord, have mercy. P For our deliverance from all affliction, wrath, danger, and need, let us pray to the Lord: C Lord, have mercy.

The prayers then continue:

P For the peace from above and for our salvation, let us pray to the Lord: C Lord, have mercy. P 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: C Lord, have mercy. P For this holy house and for all who offer here their worship and praise, let us pray to the Lord: C Lord, have mercy. P For our Synodical and District Presidents, for all pastors in Christ, for all servants of the Church, and for all the people, let us pray to the Lord: C Lord, have mercy. P For our President, for all public servants, for the government and those who protect us, that they may be upheld and strengthened in every good deed, let us pray to the Lord: C Lord, have mercy. P For those who work to bring peace, justice, health, and protection in this and every place, let us pray to the Lord: C Lord, have mercy.

Silence for individual prayer may follow.

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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

Benedicamus

Collect For Peace

P O God, from whom come all holy desires, all good counsels, and all just works, give to us, Your servants, that peace which the world cannot give, that our hearts may be set to obey Your commandments and also that we, being defended from the fear of our enemies, may live in peace and quietness; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. C Amen

Benediction
P The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift His countenance upon you T give you peace. C Amen

Luther's Evening Prayer

C I thank You, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have graciously kept me this day; and I pray that You would forgive me all my sins where I have done wrong, and graciously keep me this night. For into Your hands I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen

Closing Hymn: Abide with Me

Printed on the next page

Postlude

Abide with Me - Sigvart Hofland

Lord's Prayer
C 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;

Acknowledgments 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.

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Closing Hymn: Abide with Me

LSB 878

THE ALTAR FLOWERS The Altar Flowers are given to the glory of God and the beautification of His House by Chris and Betty Pils in celebration of their 34th wedding anniversary and in thanksgiving for the Lords many blessings.

THOSE WHO SERVE

5 I fear no foe with Thee at hand to bless; Ills have no weight and tears no bitterness. Where is deaths sting? Where, grave, thy victory? I triumph still if Thou abide with me!

Hold Thou Thy cross before my closing eyes; Shine through the gloom, and point me to the skies. Heavns morning breaks, and earths vain shadows flee; In life, in death, O Lord, abide with me.
Public domain

Pastor: Rev. James C. Walter Director of Parish Music: Nathan Beethe Acolyte: Perryn Andrews Handbell Choir: Anna Junkans, Christina Junkans Emily Junkans, Gina Junkans, Joel Junkans Susan Mahnken, Debbie Craig, Linnea Weed Randy Middaugh, Riley Middaugh Ushers: Shaun Baker, Michael Hawkins Ron Krueger, Tim Sweeney Nursery Attendant: Mary Ann Dyer Altar Guild: Suzanne Raddle and Wilma Richter Our thanks to the Young Women of Grace for serving our Advent dinner this evening.

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