4768 Union Deposit Road, Harrisburg, PA 17111 s4

Ascension Evangelical Lutheran Church Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod 4768 Union Deposit Road, Harrisburg, PA 17111 Pastor Green’s telephone numbers: office: 652-8285; cell: 319-5424; home: 732-2631; Email: [email protected] ; Church’s Website: www.ascension-wels.net; Pastor Robert Green; Officers: President: Mike Neff; Vice President: Chuck Thompson; Secretary: Ralph Buehler; Elders: Mike Neff, Chuck Thompson, Ralph Buehler, Rick Grove, and Lance Pockey; Fellowship: Ron Althoff; Treasurer: Rick Grove; Properties: Larry Stoner; Publications: Terry Reilly; Stewardship: Franklin Stauffer; Evangelism: Steve Lange; Organists/pianists: Marge Metz, Scott Salesky, and Brook Larson; Willing Workers: Chairwoman: Barb Buehler; Secretary: Linda Graf; Altar Guild: Barb Buehler; LWMS Reporter: Marge Metz

December 1, 2013

First Sunday in Advent

Guests and Visitors!

We are glad you are here. Please sign the guest book, located on the cabinet to your left as you leave the sanctuary, or fill out the guest card in the pew and put it in the offering plate. Please include your e-mail or mailing address, if you would like to be added to our weekly e-mail for sermons, bulletins and announcements. There is restroom and a nursery in the narthex.

A personal prayer for before worship from page 10 in the hymnal Christian Worship: Heavenly Father, I have come to worship you. Draw near to me in your gracious Word, and assure me of your loving kindness. Curb my wandering thoughts, that with undivided attention I may hear your voice and sing your praise. Amen.

1 The order of service for today is Service of Word and Sacrament found on page 26 in the front of the hymnal.

Service Introduction: With Advent the Church enters a new year of grace. The First Sunday of Advent emphasizes readiness for the coming of Christ at the end of time. Such readiness consists of hope-filled watchfulness, repentance, and renewal.

Opening Hymn: 21 Hosanna to the Coming King

Prayer of the Day: Stir up your people, O Lord, and come. Protect us by your strength and save us from the threatening dangers of our sins; for you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

First lesson: With prophetic foresight Isaiah describes the peace the Lord will send through the Messiah. This peace will extend to all nations through the gospel and will find its ultimate consummation at the return of Christ.

Isaiah 2:1-5 NIV

“ This is what Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem: 2 In the last days the mountain of the LORD’s temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. 3 Many peoples will come and say,

“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, 2 to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.” The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. 4 He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore. 5 Come, O house of Jacob, let us walk in the light of the LORD.”

Psalm 18 found on page 169 in the front of the hymnal. The grace of God is the security of the church. No enemy will remove believers from God's "right hand."

Second Lesson: This is the reading for the sermon.

Will you head the wakeup call of Advent!

Romans 13:11-14 NIV

“ And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. 12 The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. 13 Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. 14 Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.”

3 After the reading of the verse of the day, the congregation joins in singing the Triple Alleluias, found on page 30.

Verse of the Day: Alleluia. He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. Alleluia. (Revelation 22:20)

Gospel reading: The return of the Lord Jesus calls for readiness at all times. Believers should note the ordinariness of the times before his return and not be lulled into complacency, for "as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man." The Lord will come suddenly and unexpectedly!

Matthew 24:37-44 NIV

“As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; 39 and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left. 42 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. 43 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”

4 Sermon Hymn: 2 Savior of the Nations, Come

Sermon: by Pastor Robert Green, based on Romans 13:11- 14.

Will you head the wakeup call of Advent!

Sermon helps: The following is offered to help you contemplate and understand this reading to aid in listening to the sermon. Use the helps as best serves you.

Telic note: (the key points God is teaching in the reading): This is a call to live as we are-children of God. We are to be obedient citizens, loving our fellow man, and to do this we put off the deeds of darkness. The motivation is because we have salvation and Christ is coming soon ushering in the Day of Judgment.

Sad/Law: (As I look at myself, what makes me sad about this reading, where do I see God’s law condemning my sin): Christians fall into all kinds of sin from dissension and jealousy to sexual immorality, for because we are at one and the same time saints and sinners, we must resist seeking to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.

Glad/Gospel: (What gives me joy in this reading, where do I see God’s love and forgiveness): God calls us to live in the light and to run from the desire and actions of the sinful nature, not to be saved, but because we have been saved. He reminds us that we should live with understanding of the present times; meaning that Christ could come at any time, so make the most of how we live. We do this not only to honor God, but also as a witness to the world.

During the Offering our Ascension Choir will sing from the Christian Worship Supplement hymn 705 The Night Will Soon be Ending.

(Text: Jochen Klepper 1903-1942; tr. Herman G. Stuempfle Jr., 1923-2007 © 1998 GIA Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Setting: Ralph Vaughan Williams 1872-1958, alt. Used by permission under OneLicense A-718321).

The Prayer of the Church for the Advent Season as found on page 123.

Please see below for an explanation of our communion practices.

Communion hymn: 311 Soul, Adorn Yourself With Gladness Closing hymn: 23 O Come, O Come Emmanuel

Regarding Communion: For our Guests…

Our God generously comes to us with forgiveness in very tangible means as we participate in Holy Communion. Because the Bible has convinced us that Jesus’ body and blood are present in the Lord’s Supper, and that receiving 6 this Sacrament together is a public statement of complete oneness in our beliefs, we now invite to the Lord’s Supper members of this congregation and other WELS and ELS churches. Our congregation doesn’t want to be presumptuous and put you in the position of stating your agreement with our convictions before we have had an opportunity to explain them.

For Our Members please see page 156 of the hymnal for preparation questions and page 10 for prayers before and after communion.

A prayer for after worship from page 11 of Christian Worship, A Lutheran Hymnal: Good Shepherd, I was glad to be here, gathered with your flock to worship you. Cause the Word I have heard to take root in my heart and bear fruit in my life. Guide me in paths of righteousness, that my words and actions might lead others to glorify you. Grant, O Lord, that the lips which have sung your praise may continue to glorify you in the world; that the ears which have heard you speak may be open always to your Word and closed to hatred and discord; that the tongues which have confessed your name may always speak the truth without fear; that all of us who have worshiped together today may be united in true love for each other as you have loved us in Jesus. Amen!

The Advent Wreath The advent wreath is full of symbolic meaning. Its evergreen boughs are joined together in a circle to remind us of God’s unending love for us. The evergreen boughs also bring to mind that God and his love are everlasting and in him is eternal life.

7 On the first Sunday of Advent, one of the purple candles is lit. This is the Prophecy Candle. It directs our thoughts to the more than 300 prophecies in the Old Testament of the coming of the Messiah. On the Second Sunday in Advent a second purple candle is lit. It is the Bethlehem Candle. It is to remind us that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came to earth and was born as a baby in Bethlehem. On the Third Sunday in Advent, the pink candle, the Shepherd Candle, is lit, along with the first two purple candles. It serves to remind us of the shepherds’ faith and how Jesus has come into our hearts by faith. The third purple candle, the Angel Candle, is lit on the Fourth Sunday of Advent. The Angel Candle reminds us that Jesus will come again with all his angels on the Last Day to raise our bodies from the dead and take us to heaven to live with him there. On Christmas Day all the candles are lit including the white candle in the center. This is the Christ Candle and its position at the center reminds us that Christ is the heart and center of all of Scripture. Christ is also the center pillar and strength of our families and our lives. The Christ Candle is the fulfillment of all the other candles.

Announcements for the week of December 3rd

Attendance last Sunday: 41; Internet views of the service: 1; Visits of the website: 39 including from 16 states, (10 from 5 cities in Pennsylvania mainly in the Harrisburg area), one from China.

8 This is what we believe here at Ascension Evangelical Lutheran Church: We believe that the Bible is the inspired, inerrant and infallible Word of God; that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God and therefore no one can save her or himelf. That we are saved by grace alone through faith in God's Son, Jesus Christ, who lived, died and rose again. We also believe that it is the mission and responsibility of every member to reach out with the Gospel to all nations. That everything we do as a congregation should support this purpose. As servants of Christ, these beliefs will lead us to use our time, talents and treasures for the growth, preservation and the extension of Christ's Kingdom.

UPCOMING EVENTS: Brain storming sessions: Our elders will be contacting each member to step up and lead a brainstorming session with about ten members per session. A free meal and free babysitting will be included. The purpose of the sessions is to evaluate our strengths and weaknesses, develop ministry plans of action, and to encourage one another in our service to the Lord. The elders will be utilizing Sharon Larson’s gifts as a facilitator in the discussions. WE NEED EVERYONE MEMBER TO PARTICIPATE.

Thanksgiving meal: we give our thanks to all who prepared and served the Thanksgiving meal, especially Barb Buehler and Lisa Altholff.

Christmas decorating: December 7th, Saturday, beginning at 10:30. All are invited and a brunch will be provided. Come fellowship with us as we prepare to celebrate the birth of our Savior.

9 Christmas Eve: We will have our Christmas Eve service at 7:00 pm.

Advent midweek services: We will have midweek Advent evening worship services on each of the three Wednesdays before Christmas Eve starting on Dec. 4th.

Voters’ Assembly: regularly scheduled quarterly meeting will Dec. 15 after the service.

Ascension Choir: To Singers and Wannabe Singers! We need you! If you would like to join our choir, please speak to Sharon Larson [email protected].

Facebook: Like Ascension Lutheran Harrisburg, WELS, on Facebook.

Christmas 13: We want you to invite friends, family, neighbors and acquaintances to church. We will be giving out postcards or Christmas with our theme for Christmas.

Parents and young couples Bible Study: Time and place to be announced. This will be a study on the biblical principles of marriage and parenting.

Target shooting club: Join us on the last Saturday of each month at the Harrisburg Hunters and Anglers Club. You must be a member or guest to go. For more information please ask Pastor Green, Tammy McGhee or Mike Neff.

Ushers/Elders: for December: Rick Grove and Franklin Stauffer

10 Bible Classes: weekday classes this week: Wednesday: 10:30 am Book of Jonah 11:30 am Doctrine Class Thursday: 7:00 pm Bible Study W. Shore on Fellowship and then on the Letters of John at the West Shore YMCA Sunday: 9:00 am Sunday school for all ages; Adults have a study on Letters of John

If we have missed anyone’s birthday or anniversary, please tell Mike Neff or Pastor Green. December Birthdays: Barb Buehler 12/03; Michael Reilly 12/6; Barb Rudy 12/15; Marge Metz 12/16; Stephanie Reilly 12/21; Dorothy Neujahr 12/23; Yvonne Stephenson 12/28

December Anniversaries: Richard and Lila Collins 12/17

Prayer requests: Please let Pastor Green know of any prayer requests for you or your loved ones. We pray for God has commanded us to pray and they have requested the prayers. We pray: For Victor and Lena Liefke and family as it seems God is calling Lena home to heaven; for those with cancer: Dirk Martinez; Brian Terry (Brenda Thompson’s nephew), Bob Dunlop friend of Pastor Green, Rendell Wolfe, relative of Barb Penstone for bone cancer; Grace Glenn, Patti Reed’s step-mother; Kathleen Woodall, Jeanne Green’s sister; Anthony Pockey, Lance’s father; Shirley Maxwell; Solfryd, Ann-Helen’s mother; Darlene Hill, Sharon Larson’s sister and daughter of Lila and Richard Collins; Birgit Peltzer, friend of Pastor and Jeanne;

11 for those with heart issues: Karen Bray, Vyonne Stephenson’s daughter, Helen Crogle, friend of Phyllis Cross, Francis Pockey, Lance’s mother; Magdalena Liefke; for other health issues: Joylynn Larson, for multiple sclerosis; Paul Glenn, (Patti Reed’s brother) for vision problems; for Steve Murray, for stroke; Ann Swan, for kidney problems; Sonia Schmidt for cerebral palsy; Evelyn Kraft for lung issues; Bob Leathe for arthritis, heart, and kidney issues; Josephine Hockey, Patti Neff’s mother, for health problems; for faith, health and welfare: Denise Scott for pain; Marlin Hauer, Kundry’s father; Magdalena Marzluft; Sharon Miller, Phyllis Cross’ niece; Jordan Glenn; Daniel Reed; Destiny Reed; Patrick Collins; Pam Seed; Ryan Collins; Billy Martin; Chris and Heather and sons Dalton and Dane; for our world and home mission work; for our college students: Eric Metz, Steven Nowaczyk; for those in the military: Brian Easter, Sarah Buehler; Lance J. Pockey; Alyssa Briggs; Dennis Willie; Anthony R. Pockey

This week at Ascension: Wednesday: 10:30 am Book of Acts Thursday: 7:00 pm Bible Study W. Shore – the Letters of John Sunday: 9:00 am Bible class for adults on the Letters of John 9:30 am Sunday for children 10:30 am Worship for all ages.