Service of Advent
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Service of Advent The word advent, which means “coming,” is a good word with which to begin the Church Year, when we are tempted to ask, “What’s coming?” A more correct question would be “Who’s coming?” Stir up Your power, O Lord, The answer is “Jesus!” and come, that by Your The entire Old Testament points to Jesus as the one who was coming, when God’s time was protection we may be rescued right. For many centuries, prophets had foretold the coming of God’s Messiah, the one whom God had promised to save God’s people from their sins and teach us God’s will. Some from the threatening perils of of the Scripture readings in our Advent season quote those ancient promises. As the four our sins and saved by Your weeks of Advent move ahead, the coming gets more specific. We learn who Jesus’ mother will be, for example, and how God’s angel told her so. We learn about other members of the mighty deliverance; for You family as well, the family of John the Baptizer. live and reign with the Father All of this happened in history, of course, about 2,000 years ago. Another message of the and the Holy Spirit, one God, Advent season is that the One who has come is coming again. How does the Creed put it? now and forever. “To judge the living and the dead.” How did Jesus himself put it? “To take you to myself, that where I am, there you may be also.” So the Advent season actually deals with two Collect of the Day for First Sunday in Advent comings of Christ, one when Jesus was born hundreds of years ago, and one when he comes Lutheran Service Book: Propers of the Day again in the future to reveal himself as our Savior. But there is a third coming of Christ, the Advent season announces. That is when Jesus comes into our hearts and lives right now by his Word [and Sacraments] so that we may believe in him. All three of these comings show up in the Church’s Advent readings, also stumbling over one another to make sure we get the point. Many people and churches use an Advent wreath to mark the four weeks of the season, lighting one candle on the first Sunday of the season, two candles on the second, three on the third, and four on the last Sunday in Advent. As Christmas gets closer, the light gets brighter, and the Church prays, “Even so, come, Lord Jesus”—for Advent means “coming.” —Arden Mead and King Schoenfeld I Love to Live The Story: A Guide to Understanding & Celebrating the Christian Church Year PAGE 1 Welcome! Whether you are a longtime member or visiting for the first time, you are a gift from God to us. So that we may all celebrate your presence and give thanks to God for you, please fill out the Record of Fellowship at the end of your pew. At the time of the Offering, you may place your attendance sheet in the offering plate. The love of Christ comfort you, and the love of His people encourage you. “Sinfonia and Ritornello” from From Heaven Above, Ye Angels All Heinrich Spitta Debbie Dickensheets, organ Sally Kann, viola Zac Lavender, cello Kim Reagan, flute Please stand and face the lead candle. Of the Father’s Love Begotten 13th Century Plainsong arr. John Erickson Musicians of Ascension 1. Of the Father’s love begotten Ere the worlds began to be, He is Alpha and Omega, He the source, the ending He, Of the things that are, that have been, And that future years shall see Evermore and evermore. 2. O ye heights of heav’n, adore Him; Angel hosts, His praises sing. Pow’rs, dominions, bow before Him And extol our God and King. Let no tongue on earth be silent, Ev’ry voice in concert ring Evermore and evermore. 3. Christ, to Thee, with God the Father, And, O Holy Ghost, to Thee Hymn and chant and high thanksgiving And unending praises be, Honor, glory, and dominion, And eternal victory Evermore and evermore. Amen. PAGE 2 Psalm 50:2 -3a; Isaiah 40:3, 5; 45:8 P Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shines forth. C Our God shall come; He does not keep silence. P Prepare the way of the Lord. C Make His paths straight. P The glory of the Lord shall be revealed. C And all flesh shall see it together. P Shower, O heavens, from above, and let the skies rain down righteousness. C Let the earth open, that salvation may sprout forth. 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. Isaiah 9:2 P Beloved in the Lord, as we begin the season of Advent, let this wreath remind us that Jesus Christ came to conquer the darkness of sin and to lead us into the light of His glorious kingdom. As the prophet Isaiah says, “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined.” At this time, the Advent wreath is lighted. P The Lord be with you. C And with your spirit. P Let us pray. O Lord Jesus Christ, the true light who comes into the world to enlighten all people, bless us as we light the candles of this wreath in preparation for Your coming, and enkindle in our hearts the fire of Your love that we may receive You with joy and gladness and evermore remain steadfast in the faith; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. C Amen. Sitting A The First Lesson is from Genesis, chapter 2. 4 These are the generations had not caused it to rain on the land, of the heavens and the earth when they and there was no man to work the were created, ground, 6 and a mist was going up from in the day that the LORD God made the the land and was watering the whole earth and the heavens. face of the ground—7 then the LORD God formed the man of dust 5 When no bush of the field was yet in from the ground and breathed into the land and no small plant of the field his nostrils the breath of life, and the had yet sprung up—for the LORD God man became a living creature. PAGE 3 A 8 And the LORD God planted a garden heavens and brought them to the man in Eden, in the east, and there he put to see what he would call them. And the man whom he had formed. 9 And whatever the man called every living out of the ground the LORD God made creature, that was its name. 20 The man to spring up every tree that is pleasant gave names to all livestock and to the to the sight and good for food. The tree birds of the heavens and to every beast of life was in the midst of the of the field. But for Adam there was not garden, and the tree of the knowledge found a helper fit for him. 21 So of good and evil. the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept 15 The LORD God took the man and put took one of his ribs and closed up its him in the garden of Eden to work it place with flesh.22 And the rib that and keep it. 16 And the LORD God the LORD God had taken from the man commanded the man, saying, “You he made into a woman and brought her may surely eat of every tree of the 23 17 to the man. Then the man said, garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall “This at last is bone of my bones not eat, for in the day that you eatof it and flesh of my flesh; you shall surely die.” she shall be called Woman, 18 because she was taken out of Man.” Then the LORD God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I 24 Therefore a man shall leave his father will make him a helper fit and his mother and hold fast to his for him.” 19 Now out of the ground wife, and they shall become one the LORDGod had formed every beast flesh. 25 And the man and his wife were of the field and every bird of the both naked and were not ashamed. A This is the Word of the Lord. C Thanks be to God. Lutheran Service Book 342 “What Hope! An Eden Prophesied” PAGE 4 A The Second Lesson is from Genesis, chapter 3. 1 Now the serpent was more crafty than wife hid themselves from the presence any other beast of the field that of the LORD God among the trees of the the LORD God had made. garden. 9 But the LORDGod called to the man and said to him, “Where are He said to the woman, “Did God you?” 10 And he said, “I heard the actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any sound of you in the garden, and I was tree in the garden’?” 2 And the woman afraid, because I was naked, and I hid said to the serpent, “We may eat of the myself.” 11 He said, “Who told you that fruit of the trees in the garden, 3 but you were naked? Have you eaten of the God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit tree of which I commanded you not to of the tree that is in the midst of the eat?” 12 The man said, “The woman garden, neither shall you touch it, lest whom you gave to be with me, she you die.’” 4 But the serpent said to the gave me fruit of the tree, and I woman, “You will not surely die.