First Sunday after Christmas
January 1, 2023
The Rev. Joshua Heimbuck, Pastor
WELCOME
Welcome to Worship! Christ’s love draws all of us together around his throne of grace. May this morning’s worship assure you of his mercy and all that he has accomplished for your eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Guests and visitors, please honor us by signing our Guest Book at the entrance as you leave. If you have no church home of your own, we invite you to make Grace Lutheran Church the center of your worship, learning, fellowship, and service. After this morning’s worship, join us for a cup of coffee and let us become better acquainted with you as you get to know us better. Come to worship with us again and often!
AS WE GATHER
As we celebrate the Twelve Days of Christmas, our gospel today confronts us with the death of innocent children at the hands of Herod. The birth of Christ does not remove the power of evil from our world, but its light gives us hope as we walk with all the “holy innocents” of past generations and today who have suffered unjustly. In our gathering around word and meal, God continues to redeem us, lift us up, and carry us as in days of old.
PRE-SERVICE MUSIC
PASTORAL WELCOME
PRELUDE Angels from the Realms of Glory By Sam Ellson
Tatsiana Asheichyk, Organ
SONG Let All Together Praise Our God
INVOCATION and CONFESSION
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
In the name of the Father and of the ☩ Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen
Our help is in the name of the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.
If You, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?
But with You there is forgiveness; therefore, You are feared.
Since we are gathered to hear God’s Word, call upon Him in prayer and praise,
and receive the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ in the fellowship of this
altar, let us first consider our unworthiness and confess before God and one-
another that we have sinned in thought, word, and deed, and that we cannot free ourselves from our sinful condition. Together as His people let us take refuge in the infinite mercy of God, our heavenly Father, seeking His grace for the sake of Christ, and saying: God, be merciful to me, a sinner.
Almighty God, have mercy upon us, forgive us our sins, and lead us to everlasting life. Amen
Almighty God, merciful Father, in Holy Baptism You declared us to be Your children and gathered us into Your one, holy Church, in which You daily and richly forgive us our sins and grant us new life through Your Spirit. Be in our midst, enliven our faith, and graciously receive our prayer and praise; through Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Amen
KYRIE
Gloria in Excelsis
Salutation and Collection of the Day
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Let us pray.
O God, our Maker and Redeemer, You wonderfully created us and in the incarnation of Your Son yet more wondrously restored our human nature. Grant that we may ever be alive in Him who made Himself to be like us; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen
OLD TESTIMENT Isaiah 63:7–14
God does not delegate divine intervention to a messenger or angel. God’s own presence brings salvation. The prophet and all who read these words join in celebrating God’s gracious deeds. God trusts that God’s people will not act falsely.
I will recount the steadfast love of the Lord,
the praises of the Lord,
according to all that the Lord has granted us,
and the great goodness to the house of Israel
that he has granted them according to his compassion,
according to the abundance of his steadfast love.
For he said, “Surely they are my people,
children who will not deal falsely.”
And he became their Savior.
In all their affliction he was afflicted,
and the angel of his presence saved them;
in his love and in his pity he redeemed them;
he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.
But they rebelled
and grieved his Holy Spirit;
therefore he turned to be their enemy,
and himself fought against them.
Then he remembered the days of old,
of Moses and his people.
Where is he who brought them up out of the sea
with the shepherds of his flock?
Where is he who put in the midst of them
his Holy Spirit,
who caused his glorious arm
to go at the right hand of Moses,
who divided the waters before them
to make for himself an everlasting name,
who led them through the depths?
Like a horse in the desert,
they did not stumble.
Like livestock that go down into the valley,
the Spirit of the Lord gave them rest.
So you led your people,
to make for yourself a glorious name.
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
EPISTLE Galatians 4:4–7
Paul proclaims the ultimate significance of the nativity: Jesus was born the Son of God so that, because of him, we all may be God’s children.
When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So, you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Alleluia and Verse
SPECIAL MUSIC Christmas... In About Three Minutes By Mark Weston
Tatsiana Asheichyk, Organ
HOLY GOSPEL Matthew 2:13–23
The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the second chapter.
Glory to You, O Lord.
In a dream, Joseph is warned to flee to Egypt to protect the infant Jesus from the jealousy of Herod.
When [the wise men] had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called my son.”
Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men. Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah:
“A voice was heard in Ramah,
weeping and loud lamentation,
Rachel weeping for her children;
she refused to be comforted, because they are no more.”
But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, “Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child’s life are dead.” And he rose and took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he withdrew to the district of Galilee. And he went and lived in a city called Nazareth, that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled: “He shall be called a Nazarene.”
This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to You, O Christ.
Gentle Mary Laid Her Child
SERMON “Time Marches on” Pastor Josh
SONG We All Believe in One True God
OFFERING
OFFERING PRAYER
Merciful Father, we offer you these gifts as signs of our time and labor.
Receive the offering of our lives, and feed us with your grace, that,
even in the midst of death, all creation might feast on your unending
life in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
Service of the Sacrament
PREFACE
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.
PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING
Blessed are You, O Lord our God, king of all creation, for You have had mercy on us and given Your only-begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
Lord Jesus, You invite all who are burdened with sin to come to You for rest. We now come at Your invitation to the heavenly feast, which You have provided for Your children on earth. Preserve us from impenitence and unbelief, cleanse us from our unrighteousness, and clothe us with the righteousness purchased with Your blood. Strengthen our faith, increase our love and hope, and assure us a place at Your heavenly table, where we will eat eternal manna and drink of the river of Your pleasure forever and ever. Hear us, Jesus, for Your own sake.
Hear us as we pray in His name and as He has taught us:
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
The Words of Our Lord
Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My ☩ body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”
In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My ☩ blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
PAX DOMINI
The peace of the Lord be with you always.
Amen
SONG Lamb of God
DISTRIBUTION
Take, eat; this is the true body of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, given into death for your sins.
Amen
Take, drink; this is the true blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, shed for the forgiveness of your sins.
Amen
The body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ strengthen and preserve you in body and soul to life everlasting. Depart ☩ in peace.
Amen
Children of the Heavenly Father
POST-COMMUNION COLLECTION
Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen
BENEDICAMUS
Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
BENEDICTION
The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and ☩ give you peace, and may you be a blessing to others!
Amen
SONG Let All Together Praise Our God
POSTLUDE
+ The Worship Is Over … Let the Service Begin! +
Grace Notes
THE PRESENCE of CHRIST is celebrated in The Lord’s Supper. He comes to us in a real and present way with his life-giving body and blood in the bread and wine of The Sacrament to assure us of our forgiveness and to strengthen us in faith and service. All who trust and believe the words “given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins” are welcome. Come, receive Christ’s presence in the meal prepared for you. Enjoy his presence. Children are encouraged to come forward with their parents and/or grandparents and receive a blessing.
WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY — The Women’s Bible Study will resume on Tuesday, January 11, 2023 at 10:00 am.
Bible STUDY — Pastor Josh’s Bible study, “Who is Jesus” will begin again on Wednesday, January 4, 2023 at 12:00 noon.
SOUTHERN OREGON CONCERT BAND — Southern Oregon Concert Band has invited Grace Lutheran to an evening of music. The event, “Snow Day Celebration” will feature festive concert band arrangements and original pieces focused around a Winter Theme with a Christmas coda. The event will also feature a medley of well-known carols that invite an audience sing along. The event is FREE and will be held on January 12, 2023 at 7:00 PM in the SOU Music Recital Hall.
Week at a Glance
TUESDAY the 3rd: Lay Ministry Meeting 12:30 PM
Wednesday the 4th: Bible Study with Pastor Josh 12:00 Noon
Choir Rehearsal 7:00 PM
Thursday the 5th: Cub Scouts 3:00 PM
FRIDAY the 6th: Epiphany
SUNDAY the 8th: Bible Discussions — Money Matters 8:45 AM
Sunday School for All Ages 9:00 AM
Worship 10:00 AM
Grace Lutheran Church
660 Frances Lane
Ashland, OR 97520
541-482-1661
Pastor Joshua Heimbuck — heimbuck@me.com
Email: gracelutheranashland@gmail.com
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