First Sunday in Advent 11/27/22
FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT
NOVEMBER 27, 2022
ST. PAUL’S LUTHERAN CHURCH, FALLS CHURCH, VA
✠ ✠ ✠
PRELUDE Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme, BWV 645 J.S. Bach
WELCOME
ENTRANCE HYMN (Stand) #516 Wake, Awake, for Night is Flying
1 “Wake, awake, for night is flying,”
The watchmen on the heights are crying;
“Awake, Jerusalem, arise!”
Midnight hears the welcome voices
And at the thrilling cry rejoices:
“Oh, where are ye, ye virgins wise?
The Bridegroom comes, awake!
Your lamps with gladness take!
Alleluia!
With bridal care
Yourselves prepare
To meet the Bridegroom, who is near.”
2 Zion hears the watchmen singing,
And all her heart with joy is springing;
She wakes, she rises from her gloom.
For her Lord comes down all-glorious,
The strong in grace, in truth victorious;
Her star is ris’n, her light is come.
Now come, Thou Blessèd One,
Lord Jesus, God’s own Son,
Hail! Hosanna!
We enter all
The wedding hall
To eat the Supper at Thy call.
3 Now let all the heav’ns adore Thee,
Let saints and angels sing before Thee
With harp and cymbals’ clearest tone.
Of one pearl each shining portal,
Where, joining with the choir immortal,
We gather round Thy radiant throne.
No eye has seen the light,
No ear has heard the might
Of Thy glory;
Therefore will we
Eternally
Sing hymns of praise and joy to Thee!
CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS
In the name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Almighty God, to whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid:
cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of Your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love You, and worthily magnify Your Holy Name, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, Jesus Christ, to save us from our sin, be our advocate in heaven, and bring us to eternal life. Let us confess our sins in penitence and faith, resolved to keep God’s commandments and to live in love and peace with all.
(We kneel)
Almighty God, our heavenly Father,
we confess that we have sinned against You and against our neighbor in thought, word and deed; through negligence, through weakness, and through our own deliberate fault. We are truly sorry and repent of all our sins. For the sake of Your Son Jesus Christ, who died for us on the cross, forgive us all that is past, and grant that we may serve You in newness of life, to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.
Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ, I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son ✠ and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
KYRIE (Kyrie eleison means “Lord have mercy”) (Stand) LSB #943
Kyrie, Kyrie eleison. Kyrie, Kyrie eleison.
For peace in our hearts as we gather for worship, and for the peace of the whole world and the unity of all, let us pray to the Lord:
Kyrie, Kyrie eleison. Kyrie, Kyrie eleison.
For the proclamation of the Gospel in this and every place and for the calling of all to faith, let us pray to the Lord:
Kyrie, Kyrie eleison. Kyrie, Kyrie eleison.
For grace to await our Lord’s coming again in glory, and for the joyful anticipation of his coming into our hearts today, let us pray to the Lord:
Kyrie, Kyrie eleison. Kyrie, Kyrie eleison.
HYMN OF PRAISE (omitted during this penitential season)
THE PRAYER OF THE DAY
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Let us pray. Stir up Your power, O Lord, and come,
that by Your protection we may be rescued from the threatening perils of our sins and saved by Your mighty deliverance; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
✠ ✠ ✠
THE LITURGY OF THE WORD
FIRST LESSON (Be seated) Isaiah 2:1-5
The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
It shall come to pass in the latter days
that the mountain of the house of the Lord
shall be established as the highest of the mountains,
and shall be lifted up above the hills;
and all the nations shall flow to it,
and many peoples shall come, and say:
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
to the house of the God of Jacob,
that he may teach us his ways
and that we may walk in his paths.”
For out of Zion shall go the law,
and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
He shall judge between the nations,
and shall decide disputes for many peoples;
and they shall beat their swords into plowshares,
and their spears into pruning hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
neither shall they learn war anymore.
O house of Jacob,
come, let us walk
in the light of the Lord.
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
PSALM 122 (Sung responsively)
I was glad when they said to me,
“Let us go to the house of the Lord!”
Our feet have been standing
within your gates, O Jerusalem!
Jerusalem—built as a city
that is bound firmly together,
to which the tribes go up,
the tribes of the Lord,
as was decreed for Israel,
to give thanks to the name of the Lord.
There thrones for judgment were set,
the thrones of the house of David.
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!
“May they be secure who love you!
Peace be within your walls
and security within your towers!”
For my brothers and companions’ sake
I will say, “Peace be within you!”
For the sake of the house of the Lord our God,
I will seek your good.
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.
SECOND LESSON Romans 13:8-14
Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
(10:30) CHILDREN’S SERMON
GOSPEL VERSE (stand) # 338 Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus
1 Come, Thou long-expected Jesus,
Born to set Thy people free;
From our fears and sins release us;
Let us find our rest in Thee.
Israel’s strength and consolation,
Hope of all the earth Thou art,
Dear desire of ev’ry nation,
Joy of ev’ry longing heart.
GOSPEL Matthew 24:36-46
The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew the 24th chapter
Glory to You, O Lord.
[Jesus said:] “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. As were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left. Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.
“Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes.
This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to You, O Christ.
SERMON
Grace, mercy and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus. Amen. Dear friends in Christ:
Are you ready? The holiday season is now upon us, and people will want to celebrate. Gifts will be exchanged; decorations and plans will be desired. There’s a lot of work ahead.
Are you ready? Because it’s cold and flu season too. Or at least it used to be. These days the season seems to be all year long. Either way, we know there are bugs out there. And some extra care can be helpful.
Are you ready? It’s also a season for break-ins. The nights are long, and people are often away. Thieves love this time of year. Home security is important.
Are you ready? Jesus also asks this question. But not about health, safety or hospitality concerns. Jesus wants us to be ready for his return.
The church’s season of Advent leads us to the joy of Christmas. But along the journey it also emphasizes our preparation. And on this first Sunday in Advent we are preparing especially for Christ’s promised return. Today’s theme is the same as the past few Sundays – forming a bridge from the end of the last church year into the new. Our celebration of past events, like Jesus’ birth, is always to be done with an eye toward the future anyway. Advent helps us do this.
So, are you ready for Christ to come again?
As you think about this question, you should know that Christ will come at an unknown time. He makes this clear in today’s reading. Just as no one knows when a thief will come, so also no one knows when Christ will come again.
Lots of people have tried to guess the day of his return. Some of them have even declared that they had it figured out. But Jesus warns us about these people. Twice in the earlier verses of today’s chapter he says, “Do not follow them.” That’s because no one knows the time or day. Not even Jesus himself… at least according to his human nature.
Are you ready? Notice, too, the urgency Christ gives to this message. This urgency is not simply because he’s trying to save us from an embarrassing look on our face. Rather, the urgency is there because of what will happen on that day.
At his return, Christ Jesus will judge all people– both the living and the dead. What a day that will be! “Day of wrath” it is sometimes called in Scripture. “Day of accounting” we might also call it. It is the day when our life choices will be tallied, and the day when we will be judged by whether we followed the Lord God’s commands.
Are you ready? Jesus will soon give us our final evaluation. And our eternal destiny– be it heaven or hell– is at stake.
There are many around us who laugh at such things. They think it sounds like scare tactics, meant to deprive people of their rights or their fun. But God will not be mocked. The Scriptures make clear pronouncements of woe against those who reject his message.
Others protest by saying, “What kind of God could do such things?” Well, we know what kind of God: a God who cares about how people live.
To the question of readiness, Christians can give a definite answer. We are ready for Christ’s return when we have faith in his words and faith in his mercy.
Over and over, the scriptures call us to faith. They call us to trust God and his plan of salvation. They explain that this plan is centered in his Son, Jesus Christ.
Our readiness is like that which Martin Luther described when explaining about Holy Communion. He said: “That person is truly worthy and well-prepared who has faith in these words: ‘given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.’” Faith in Christ’s word is the key.
The world’s way of readiness usually involves a list. Think of grocery lists, guest lists, “to do” lists, etc.
Such thinking when applied to Christ’s return leads people to anxiously list out their sins and weigh them against their list of good works. “Have I sinned too much?” they ask, and “did I do enough good works?” They may comfort themselves by concluding that the good they did outweighs the bad. But they will always wonder about this.
Rather than making a list, the Scriptures call us instead to fall on our knees. There on our knees, we confess our sins and ask God for mercy.
When the great crowd at Pentecost was confronted with their sin of killing Jesus, they cried out anxiously: “What can we do?” Peter replied: “Repent and be baptized, in the name of Jesus, for the forgiveness of your sins” (Acts 2:38).
Advent is a time of preparation and readiness. As such, it is a time of repentance. Confession will be encouraged throughout this season.
And some will point out that there is an irony in this. Because this season, with all its extra events and planning and anxieties, may actually cause more sins. Witness how many of us have cursed our neighbor for his poor execution of the holiday maneuvers, or even cursed God for being the cause of it all.
I suppose this could be true. And yet, does not this season rather call to mind how poorly we manage any times of stress – holiday-related or whenever? And does it not highlight how impatient we are with one another all year long?
Are you ready? Yes, says the Christian. Even in the midst of our moral failures we are ready for the coming of Christ. Those baptized into his name have received the washing of forgiveness. And those who confess their sins live continually in this forgiveness. We are ready because we have faith– faith which trusts in Christ to save us.
When we’ve placed our faith in Christ, we have placed it in a sure and certain hope. For Jesus Christ lived a sinless, perfect life in our place. And then offered himself as a pure and perfect sacrifice for our sins. His death on the cross paid sin’s debt. His resurrection from the dead declared victory over the grave.
And this victory he shares with us. The Gospel reading today shares how this victory will play out in people’s lives when Christ comes again. It gives two scenarios where people are working side by side– two in the field and two at the mill. In each case, one worker is taken away while the other is left behind.
In these scenarios, those who are taken are saved – just like Noah and his family in the time of the flood.
Those who are left behind face God’s judgment. And they won’t be given a second chance in some sort of millennial new phase of life like the popular book series “Left Behind” describes. Rather, they will be washed away in the great flood of judgment. The reference to Noah makes this clear.
But again, those of us who place our faith in Christ are ready for his coming again. We are safe and secure.
That being said, let’s not forget the importance of maintaining this readiness. Christ’s call in these verses is for Christians too.
And here we should note Jesus’ words about staying awake. “Therefore, stay awake,” he says, “for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.”
Staying awake means being watchful. It means being vigilant. It means exerting effort toward maintaining our faith.
Today’s Gospel reading ends with Jesus urging us to be both faithful and wise. He says: “Who then is the faithful and wise servant whom his master has set over his household?” Wisdom dictates that we take certain steps toward maintaining our readiness.
One of the wise things we can do is to build time with the Lord into our regular schedule. That way we are less likely to forget him.
Jesus tells us of the people in Noah’s day who were “eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage.” The things they were doing were not bad. The implication, however, is that they were so busy doing them that they forgot to acknowledge God.
And just so you know, the people of Noah’s day were doing plenty of bad things too. For the book of Genesis says that “every inclination of their hearts was only evil, all of the time.”
Dire sin invites dire consequences. But simple complacency and thoughtlessness can lead to consequences too. Today we should ask ourselves: “Are we so busy with life’s ongoing pleasures and concerns that we forget to confess our sins and nurture our faith?”
As individuals, we need to guard our hearts from those things which break faith down. We must be wise about the things we watch, wise about the words we listen to, and wise about the people we engage. Do they build up our faith? Or do they pull us away from it?
As a church, we must be vigilant about the spiritual life of our congregation. Do we build one another up with encouraging words, or do we engage in the slander, gossip and back-biting that is so often found in our world? Do we teach the true Gospel of Christ as found in the scriptures, or do we bend those scriptures to suit our fancy? Do we show a concern for getting to know our fellow believers, or do we come to God’s house simply to have our own little private time with him?
I’m always thankful when one of our members says to me, “you know, I haven’t seen so-and-so recently. Do you happen to know if they’re okay.” These words show concern. I’m even more happy when that member then offers to reach out to the one who is missing. Sometimes they do.
In our first reading today, Isaiah speaks of a time when many peoples shall say: “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.” And then, after hearing the teachings of the Lord, these people, reports Isaiah, “will beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.”
In our world of extreme violence and war, this prophecy seems a long way off. People don’t seem to be attending the Lord’s house as much. Killings and other evil deeds are all around us, happening every day.
But there are still plenty of people who take the Lord’s words to heart. And there will be more times of strong movement toward God’s ways, just as there always has been. God’s presence in the world will not be overcome, and God’s word will continue to turn hard hearts to good.
What’s more, Isaiah’s words will come true in a complete and lasting way when our last day comes. At that time we will be taken from this vale of tears and find ourselves immediately at the Lord’s side. There we will know the perfect peace God intends for us. There we will see God’s kingdom in all its goodness and glory.
St. Paul reminded the Roman believers of this when he said: “Salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand.”
And having said that, Paul then urged the people to live according to the wisdom of God, saying: “So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly as in the daytime… putting on the Lord Jesus Christ.”
When we put on Jesus Christ – through our prayers, our faith and our attention to his word – we are ready for his return. We can welcome him with joy. Our prayer then becomes that great prayer of Advent: “Come, Lord Jesus.”
Yes, we want Jesus to return. His return brings joy without measure and peace beyond hope.
May God bless and keep us then, until that day. In the name of Jesus. Amen.
HYMN OF THE DAY (Stand) #332 Savior of the Nations, Come
1 Savior of the nations, come,
Virgin’s Son, make here Your home!
Marvel now, O heav’n and earth,
That the Lord chose such a birth.
2 Not by human flesh and blood,
By the Spirit of our God,
Was the Word of God made flesh—
Woman’s offspring, pure and fresh.
3 Here a maid was found with child,
Yet remained a virgin mild.
In her womb this truth was shown:
God was there upon His throne.
4 Then stepped forth the Lord of all
From His pure and kingly hall;
God of God, yet fully man,
His heroic course began.
5 God the Father was His source,
Back to God He ran His course.
Into hell His road went down,
Back then to His throne and crown.
6 For You are the Father’s Son
Who in flesh the vict’ry won.
By Your mighty pow’r make whole
All our ills of flesh and soul.
7 From the manger newborn light
Shines in glory through the night.
Darkness there no more resides;
In this light faith now abides.
8 Glory to the Father sing,
Glory to the Son, our king,
Glory to the Spirit be
Now and through eternity.
APOSTLES’ CREED Hymnal, back cover
I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
OFFERING (Be Seated)
Offerings support the church’s mission work – both here and through our many partners. Offerings may be placed in the box at the sanctuary entrance or sent to the church through our website or the mail. Fellowship Cards help us welcome new people and track participation. Please fill one out and place it in the offering box following the service.
PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH (Stand)
Stir up Your power, O Lord, to rescue us from the dangers of this dark world by the advent of Your Son, that we may ever walk in His light and learn the way of peace. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Gracious Lord, because we do not know the day or hour of Your Son’s appearing, grant that we would always be prepared. Send us faithful pastors and teachers to proclaim Your Word of Law and Gospel to us and strengthen our congregation, so that we may be constantly encouraged and built up in the faith. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O God of Jacob, You have established Your kingdom as a beacon to all nations. As you have promised, call all peoples unto Yourself and teach us to walk in the light of Your peace. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord of love, visit our homes and defend us from the temptation to walk in the works of darkness. Grant that husbands and wives may love one another, support one another in all life’s challenges, and be given all good gifts to raise their children in the faith. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty Lord, You are the authority to whom all temporal authorities must bow. Give wisdom and godly insight to our president; our governor; and all who make, administer and judge our laws. Grant peace among and within the nations, that swords may be beaten to plowshares and spears to pruning hooks. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Compassionate Lord, look with mercy upon the sick. Visit them during these Advent days to comfort them with Your saving Gospel. If it be Your will, grant healing and peace to Victoria, Geraine, Ann, Sophia, Dolly, Gloria, Norma, Brooks, Trudy, Mary Ann, June, Peter, Wendy, Ron, Tawni, Reaghann, James, Doug, and all for whom we pray at this time… Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Draw us unto Yourself, O Lord, gathered around the holy body and precious blood of Your Son in the Sacrament of the Altar. Sustain us in saving faith, that we may eat and drink for the forgiveness of our sins. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O loving Father, You alone know the day and the hour when our Lord Jesus Christ will come again in glory. Until that day, keep us steadfast in the one true faith, that we may ever be ready for His reappearing; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
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THE LITURGY OF HOLY COMMUNION
PREFACE TO HOLY COMMUNION
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, whose way John the Baptist prepared, proclaiming Him the promised Messiah, the very Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, and calling sinners to repentance that they might escape from the wrath to be revealed when He comes again in glory. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
SANCTUS p. 161
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.
EUCHARISTIC PRAYER
Holy God, mighty Lord, gracious Father:
Endless is Your mercy and eternal your reign.
You have filled all creation with light and life;
Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Through Abraham you promised to bless all nations.
You rescued Israel, your chosen people.
Through the prophets you renewed your promise;
And, at this the end of all ages, you sent your Son,
Who in words and deeds proclaimed your kingdom
and was obedient to your will, even to giving his life.
THE WORDS OF OUR LORD
PROCLAMATION OF CHRIST
As often as we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
Therefore, gracious Father; with this bread and cup
We remember the life our Lord offered for us.
And believing the witness of his resurrection,
We await his coming in power to share with us
The great and promised feast.
Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.
Join our prayers with those of your servants of every time and place,
And unite them with the ceaseless petitions of our great high priest
Until he comes as victorious Lord of all.
Amen.
THE LORD’S PRAYER
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; 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.
PAX DOMINI
The peace of the Lord be with you always.
Amen.
AGNUS DEI p. 163
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.
DISTRIBUTION (Be seated)
The Communion Assistant will come forward to receive first, then those from the pulpit side – by order of pew, front to back. Communicants will come up the center aisle and return via the side aisle. When all from the pulpit side have communed, the baptismal font side will commune in the same manner. Distancing must be maintained between all communicants. We ask that the wine be consumed away from the tray table. Empty cups should be dropped into the baskets.
COMMUNION HYMN #334 O Lord, How Shall I Meet You
1 O Lord, how shall I meet You,
How welcome You aright?
Your people long to greet You,
My hope, my heart’s delight!
O kindle, Lord most holy,
Your lamp within my breast
To do in spirit lowly
All that may please You best.
2 Your Zion strews before You
Green boughs and fairest palms;
And I too will adore You
With joyous songs and psalms.
My heart shall bloom forever
For You with praises new
And from Your name shall never
Withhold the honor due.
3 I lay in fetters, groaning;
You came to set me free.
I stood, my shame bemoaning;
You came to honor me.
A glorious crown You give me,
A treasure safe on high
That will not fail or leave me
As earthly riches fly.
4 Love caused Your incarnation;
Love brought You down to me.
Your thirst for my salvation
Procured my liberty.
Oh, love beyond all telling,
That led You to embrace
In love, all love excelling,
Our lost and fallen race.
5 Sin’s debt, that fearful burden,
Cannot His love erase;
Your guilt the Lord will pardon
And cover by His grace.
He comes, for you procuring
The peace of sin forgiv’n,
His children thus securing
Eternal life in heav’n.
6 He comes to judge the nations,
A terror to His foes,
A light of consolations
And blessèd hope to those
Who love the Lord’s appearing.
O glorious Sun, now come,
Send forth Your beams so cheering,
And guide us safely home.
POST-COMMUNION COLLECT (Stand)
BENEDICTION
SENDING HYMN #348 The King Shall Come when Morning Dawns
1 The King shall come when morning dawns
And light triumphant breaks,
When beauty gilds the eastern hills
And life to joy awakes.
2 Not as of old a little child,
To bear and fight and die,
But crowned with glory like the sun
That lights the morning sky.
3 Oh, brighter than the rising morn
When Christ, victorious, rose
And left the lonesome place of death
Despite the rage of foes.
4 Oh, brighter than that glorious morn
Shall dawn upon our race
The day when Christ in splendor comes
And we shall see His face.
5 The King shall come when morning dawns
And light and beauty brings.
Hail, Christ the Lord! Your people pray:
Come quickly, King of kings!
ANNOUNCEMENTS (Be seated)
DISMISSAL
POSTLUDE The King Shall Come when Morning Dawns Setting: D. N. Johnson
Those serving:
Sunday, November 27,
8:00 a.m.
Greeter: Richard Kauzlarich
Comm. assist: Judy Koucky
Reader: Anne Kauzlarich
10:30 a.m.
Greeter: Marian Robinson
Comm. assist: Dan Buuck
Reader: Lynn Jacquez
8:00 & 10:30 a.m. Trumpet: Amelia Jansen
Fellowship: Volunteers – Lorena Erbert and Judy Koucky