The Second Sunday after Christmas
January 3, 2010
Prelude Liebster Jesu, wir sind hier J.S. Bach
Welcome
We’re delighted to greet everyone in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, who takes away our sin and offers grace to all people. If you are a guest, please fill out the Guest Form. If you’re looking for a meaningful ministry with which to become involved, you are encouraged to speak with the Pastor.
Gathering
(Please stand)
Brief Order for Confession & Forgiveness
P We gather in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P God of all mercy and consolation, come to the help of your people, turning us from our sin to live
for you alone. Give us the power of your Holy Spirit that we may confess our sin, receive your forgiveness,
and grow into the fullness of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
C Amen.
(Please kneel)
Confession
P Most merciful God,
C we confess that we are captive to sin and cannot free ourselves. We have sinned against you in thought,
word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. For the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ,
have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in your will and walk in your ways, to the glory of your holy name. Amen.
Absolution
P In the mercy of almighty God, Jesus Christ was given to die for us, and for his sake God forgives us all our sins. As a called and ordained minister of the church of Christ, and by his authority, I therefore declare to you the entire forgiveness of all your sins, in the name of the Father, and of the ς Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
(Please stand)
Entrance Hymn Word of God, Come Down on Earth Hymn 510
Greeting
P The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all!
C And, also with you.
Baptism (11:00 am) Page 227
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Kyrie (8:30 am)
Music on page 147
P In
peace, let us pray to the Lord.
C
Lord, have mercy.
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 Help, save, comfort, and defend
us, gracious Lord.
C
Amen.
Hymn of Praise (8:30 am) Music on page 148
P Glory
to God in the highest, and peace to God’s people on earth.
C
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
P Almighty God, you have filled all
the earth with the light of your incarnate Word. By your
grace empower
us to reflect your light in all that we do, through Jesus
Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C
Amen.
Word
(Please
sit)
Children’s Message (8:30 am)
First Reading Jeremiah 31:7–14
God
promises to bring Israel back to its land from the most
remote parts of exile. In Zion Israel will rejoice over
God’s gift of food and livestock. Young women will express
their joy in dancing; God will give gladness instead of
sorrow.
For thus says the LORD: Sing aloud with gladness for
Jacob,and raise shouts for the chief of the nations;
proclaim, give praise, and say, “Save, O LORD, your people,
the remnant of Israel.” See, I am going to bring them from
the land of the north, and gather them from the farthest
parts of the earth, among them the blind and the lame,
those with child and those in labor, together; a great
company, they shall return here. With weeping they shall
come, and with consolations I will lead them back, I will
let them walk by brooks of water, in a straight path in
which they shall not stumble; for I have become a father to
Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn.
Hear the word of the LORD, O nations, and declare it in the
coastlands far away;
say, “He who scattered Israel will gather him, and will
keep him as a shepherd a flock.” For the LORD has ransomed
Jacob, and has redeemed him from hands too strong for him.
They shall come and sing aloud on the height of Zion, and
they shall be radiant over the goodness of the LORD, over
the grain, the wine, and the oil, and over the young of the
flock and the herd; their life shall become like a watered
garden, and they shall never languish again. Then shall the
young women rejoice in the dance, and the young men and the
old shall be merry. I will turn their mourning into joy, I
will comfort them, and give them gladness for sorrow. I
will give the priests their fill of fatness, and my people
shall be satisfied with my bounty, says the LORD.
(2)
P The Word of the Lord.
C
Thanks be to God.
Psalm Hymn Angels from the Realms of
Glory Hymn
275
Second
Reading Ephesians 1:3–14
In
Jesus, all of God’s plans and purposes have been made known
as heaven and earth are united in Christ. Through Jesus, we
have been chosen as God’s children and have been promised
eternal salvation.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who
has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in
the heavenly places, just as he chose us in Christ before
the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before
him in love. He destined us for adoption as his children
through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his
will, to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely
bestowed on us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption
through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses,
according to the riches of his grace that he lavished on
us. With all wisdom and insight he has made known to us the
mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he
set forth in Christ, as a plan for the fullness of time, to
gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on
earth. In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance,
having been destined according to the purpose of him who
accomplishes all things according to his counsel and will,
so that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ,
might live for the praise of his glory. In him you also,
when you had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your
salvation, and had believed in him, were marked with the
seal of the promised Holy Spirit; this is the pledge of our
inheritance toward redemption as God’s own people, to the
praise of his glory.
P The
Word of the Lord.
C
Thanks be to God.
(Please
stand)
Gospel Acclamation
Gospel John 1:
1-18
P The
Holy Gospel according to Saint John, the first chapter.
C
Glory to you, O Lord.
John begins his gospel with this prologue: a hymn to the
Word through whom all things were created. This Word became
flesh and brought grace and truth to the
world.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All
things came into being through him, and without him not one
thing came into being. What has come into being in him was
life, and the life was the light of all people. The light
shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome
it.
(3)
There was a man sent from God,
whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the
light, so that all might believe through him. He himself
was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. The
true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the
world. He was in the world, and the world came into being
through him; yet the world did not know him. He came to
what was his own, and his own people did not accept him.
But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he
gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of
blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man,
but of God. And the Word became flesh and lived among us,
and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only
son, full of grace and truth. (John testified to him and
cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after
me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.’”) From his
fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. The law
indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came
through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. It is God
the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has
made him known.
P The Gospel
of the Lord.
C
Praise to you, O Christ.
(Please sit)
Sermon
The Rev. Dr. Richard
Campbell
(Please
stand)
Hymn
of the Day Of the Father’s Love
Begotten Hymn 295
Nicene
Creed
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.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven,
was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary
and became truly human.
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.
(4)
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,*
who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified,
who 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.
(Please
kneel)
The
Prayer of the People
After each prayer
petition:
P Lord in your mercy
C
Hear our prayer.
The
prayers conclude:
P Receive our prayers, holy God, and
give us all we need for this day and the days to come,
through the power of the Holy Spirit, and in the name of
Jesus Christ our Lord.
C
Amen.
(Please
stand)
Peace
P
The peace of the Lord
be with you always.
C
And also with you.
(Please feel free to move about and share God’s Peace with
one another!)
Meal
(Please
sit)
Offering
Anthem (8:30
am) It
Came Upon a Midnight Clear Richard S. Willis
Family Choir
Anthem (11:00
am) Infant
Holy, Infant Lowly Polish Carol Solo: Claire Teuber,
Soprano
(Please
stand)
Offering
Response Tune: Old
Hundreth
C
Praise God from whom all blessings flow,
Praise Him all creatures here below,
Praise Him above ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
Amen.
(5)
Offering Prayer
P God of majesty, in your might you
have created all things, and you entrust to our care what
you have made. Receive our offerings, and make them a sign
of our dedication to provide for the needs of all people
and creatures, in the name of the one who sustains all
things by his word, Jesus Christ our Lord.
C
Amen.
The
Great Thanksgiving Music on page 152
P The
Lord be with you.
C
And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C
We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our
God.
C
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
Proper Preface
Sanctus
Music on Page 153
Holy, holy, holy Lord. God of pow’r and might
heaven and earth are full of your glory, Hosanna, Hosanna.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.
Words of Institution
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.”
Lord’s
Prayer
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in
heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, now
and forever.
Amen.
Communion
All baptized Christians are invited to share in the
Eucharist. Those who are not baptized, or wish to receive
only a blessing, are asked to fold their arms over their
chest. Communion will be by intinction (dipping). Please
follow the usher’s direction.
(6)
(Please
sit)
Music
at the Communion
Agnus
Dei Music on
page 154
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.
Communion
Hymns 487, 288
(Please
stand)
Post
Communion Blessing and Prayer
P Loving
God, in this meal you sustain the weary and heal the
broken.
May the gift of your word made flesh, the body and blood of
Christ, inspire our tongues to praise you and proclaim to
the entire world the Savior, Jesus Christ our Lord.
C
Amen.
P The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord’s face shine on you with grace and mercy. The Lord
look upon you with favor and
ς give you
peace.
C
Amen.
Sending
Hymn The
First Noel Hymn 300
Dismissal
P
Go in peace. Serve the
Lord.
C
Thanks be to God.
Music reproduced with permission by Augsburg Fortress.
Liturgies License # 23349
You may use this Bulletin to cover your parking in the
Francis Marion or Hutson Street Garage.
St.
Matthew’s Lutheran Church * 405 King Street * Charleston,
SC 843.723.1611
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