Second Sunday in Advent
December 4, 2022
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 Overflowing with Hope
Christians have a unique hope. It is not a maybe or if kind of hope. Rather, the Christian’s hope is for sure, but not yet. God’s chosen people in the Old Testament hoped for the coming of the Messiah, just as God had promised. Their hope was fulfilled when God sent his Son into the world. We Christians today hope for the Second Coming of the Messiah, and our hope is the sure expectation that he will keep his promise. It just hasn’t happened yet. The color blue, used in the Season of Advent, is an expression of the hope of The Church as it both looks forward to the Second Coming of Christ, and anticipates the celebration of his coming as a Child in Bethlehem. Paul’s prayer for the Romans and for us, as a welcoming community, is that “you may overflow with hope by the power of the Spirit.”
PRAYER BEFORE WORSHIP
God our Father, you have made us a new company of priests to bear witness to the Gospel. Enable us to be faithful to our calling, to be a welcoming community and make known your promises to all people; through Your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
+ THE ORDER OF CELEBRATING +
(Theme of the Day: Who is Abraham’s famous son? That would be Isaac. With Abraham and Isaac we see Jesus—the Son of Abraham and our Son of Sacrifice.)
PRE-SERVICE MUSIC
WELCOME
PRELUDE It Came Upon the Midnight Clear — By Richard S. Willis
Sherril Wood, Flute
Tatsiana Asheichyk, Organ
HYMN Savior of the Nations, Come
ORDER OF CONFESSION
In the Name of the Father and of the ☩ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
The time of Christ’s coming is at hand; the day is drawing near.
Let us lay aside the works of darkness; let us put on the armor of light.
Lest that day surprise us unprepared, let us confess our sins to God the Father,
imploring him in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us his promised
forgiveness.
+ A Brief Silence for Reflection & Self-examination +
Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word,
and deed. We have grown complacent and content, desiring darkness rather than
the light. We are helpless to free ourselves. We beg your mercy for the sake of
your Son, Jesus Christ, who will come again to judge the living and the dead.
He who is coming has come! His birth among us brings us light; his death for our transgressions brings us life. For his sake your sins are forgiven in the Name of
the Father and of the ☩ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
Come, let us walk in the light of the Lord.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus! Amen
THE PASSING OF PEACE
Forgiven and reconciled by God, let us be reconciled with one another and share the
peace of the Lord as we greet each other.
[The congregation is encouraged to share the peace of Christ and greet one another with the
words: “The Lord’s peace be with you.” The response: “And also with you.”]
LIGHTING of THE ADVENT WREATH
We praise you, O God, for this circle of light that marks our days of preparation for
Christ’s advent. As we light the candles of this wreath, kindle within us the fire of your Spirit, that we may be light shining in the darkness. Enlighten us with your grace, that we may welcome others as you have welcomed us. Grant this through Christ our Lord,
who’s coming is certain and whose day draws near. Amen
Light the Candle
We light two candles.
And we pray for unity.
We light two candles.
And we envision the day when the leopard will lie down with the lamb.
We look forward to the arrival of God’s Son, the little Child who will lead us.
Come to us, O Child of God.
We await the time when all people from all walks of life will join hands to praise
the Lord.
Come to us, O Child of God.
We seek to be drawn closer to you, O Lord, when we come together as the family
of God.
For you have said, “Where two or three are gathered in my Name, there I
am in the midst of them.
Come into our midst, O Lord, and make us one in our bond of faith.
May the light of your Gospel unite your people here on earth. Amen
PRAYER OF THE DAY
Stir up your power, O Lord, to prepare the way of your only Son. By his coming give us strength in our conflicts and shed light on our path through the darkness of this world; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and for the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen
FIRST LESSON Isaiah 11:1-10
[In the previous chapter Isaiah portrays God’s judgment as the felling of a great forest. In today’s reading the prophet describes the coming of an ideal ruler who will come in the future as a green shoot springing from a dead stump (David’s royal line) of Jesse (David’s father). The reign of this monarch will be experienced as paradise regained.]
A shoot shall come for the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots. The spirit of the LORD shall rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.
His delight shall be in the fear of the LORD. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide by what his ears hear; but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.
Righteousness shall be the belt around his loins. The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a -
little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze, their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play over the
hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder’s den. They shall
not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain; for the earth will be full of the knowledge
of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.
On that day the root of Jesse shall stand as a signal to the peoples; the nations shall
inquire of him, and his dwelling shall be glorious.
The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God!
GRACE CHOIR Advent Trilogy — Arr. Faye Lopez
Sherril Wood, Flute and Tatsiana Asheichyk, Organ
SECOND LESSON Romans 15:4-13
[Paul encourages Christians to welcome diversity and live in harmony with one another. Christians live out their unity by welcoming and encouraging each other as Christ has welcomed them into God’s family.]
Whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, so that by steadfastness and by the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope. May
the God of steadfastness and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another, in accordance with Christ Jesus, so that together you may with one voice glorify
the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the circumcised on behalf of the truth of God in order that he might confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy.
As it is written, ‘Therefore, I will confess you among the Gentiles, and sing praises to your name’; and again, he says, ‘Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people’; and again, ‘Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples praise him’; and again Isaiah says, ‘The root of Jesse shall come, the one who rises to rule the Gentiles; in him the Gentiles shall hope.’ May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit
The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God!
HOLY GOSPEL Matthew 3:1-12
The gospel according to Matthew, the 3rd chapter. Glory to you, O Lord
[Just before Jesus begins his public ministry, John the Baptist appears, calling people to mend
their ways and speaking of a powerful one who is to come.]
In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming,
“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” This is the one of whom the
Prophet Isaiah spoke when he said, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare
the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.”
Now John wore clothing of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his
food was locusts and wild honey. Then the people of Jerusalem and all Judea were
going out to him, and all the region along the Jordan, and they were baptized by him
in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.
But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them,
“You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit
worthy of repentance. Do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor’; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham.
Even now the axe is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not
bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
I baptize you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit
and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and will gather his wheat into the granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, O Christ.
HYMN Savior of the Nations, Come
SERMON Jesus is the Son of Abraham — Pr. Josh Text: Matthew 1:1
APOSTOLIC CREED
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 catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life ☩ everlasting. Amen
PRAYERS of THE CHURCH
OFFERINGS are BROUGHT FORWARD
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
THE GREAT THANKSGIVING
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.
Holy God, the Beginning and the End,
our Salvation and our Hope,
we praise you for creating a world of order and beauty.
When we brought on chaos, cruelty, and despair,
you sent the prophets to proclaim your justice and mercy.
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 which is given
for you. Do this in 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 for the forgiveness of sin.
Do this in remembrance of me.
Remembering, therefore, his life, death, and resurrection,
we await his coming again in righteousness and peace.
Send your Holy Spirit on us and on this bread and wine
we share; strengthen our faith, increase our hope, and
bring to birth the justice and joy of your Son.
Through him all glory and honor are yours, Almighty Father,
with the Holy Spirit, in your holy Church, both now and forever. 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
LAMB OF GOD
[We come to The Sacrament sincerely believing in the real presence of Christ and
that in the eating and drinking of the bread and wine of The Sacrament we receive
the true body and blood of our Lord for our forgiveness, salvation, and strength for
Christian life and witness.]
DISTRIBUTION
DISTRIBUTION SONG God Loves Me Dearly
DISMISSAL
PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING
By Your word and sacrament, O God, You give us a foretaste of the
new heaven and new earth that will be ours forever. Strengthen us
in this vision that we might draw others to believe in the hope that is
ours; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
BLESSING
HYMN OF THE DAY Hark the Glad Sound
SILENT PRAYER
Thank you Jesus, for being the Son of Abraham, our Son of Sacrifice — you will always provide for me when I am tested! Amen
POSTLUDE
+ The Worship Is Over … Let the Service Begin! +
Advent and Christmas at a Glance
3rd Sunday of Advent, December 11th
- Advent Worship and Holy Communion 10:00 am
- Coffee Hour and Cookie Crawl 11:00 am
[Bring your favorite Christmas Cookies for all to enjoy.]
- Voter’s Meeting 11:15 am
4th Sunday of Advent, December 18th
- Christ the King Sunday
- Mite Box Sunday
- Advent Worship and Holy Communion 10:00 am
- Coffee/Fellowship Hors d’oeuvres 11:00 am
[Bring your favorite or ethnic Hors d’oeuvre to share]
ChristMass Eve, December 24th
- Candelight Service of Lessons and Carols with
Holy Communion 7:00 pm
ChristMass Day, December 25th
- No worship service.
First Sunday after ChristMass, January 1st
- Worship and Holy Communion 10:00 am
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.
TODAY IS CRECHE SUNDAY — Creche refers specifically to the baby Jesus in the manger. Crèche is a French word that also refers to a nursery or daycare center. Please set up your Creche set (Nativity scene) on the tables provided in the back of the Sanctuary, leaving them for all to enjoy until next Sunday, December 11th.
TODAY is the Time + Talents + Treasure SURVEY PRESENTATION — Please plan to stay after worship today for a very brief presentation by the Stewardship Committee regarding the Time + Talents + Treasure survey form. The goal is to determine member interest in sharing their time, talents and treasures in support of our mission and ministries here at Grace . A separate form will ask each individual/family unit to estimate their anticipated giving in 2023.
TATSIANA ASHEICHYK STUDENT PIANO RECITAL — Today, Sunday, December 4th, 3:00 PM at Grace Lutheran Church. All are welcome! Free admission! Come to enjoy music and support young talent. Refreshments to follow. For more information visit www.asheichyk.com.
WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY — The Women’s Bible Study will not be meeting in December. Please plan on joining us as we resume in January/2023.
BUDGET PRESENTATION — The proposed 2023 Budget will be presented to the congregation at a Voters' Assembly meeting immediately after worship on December 11th. Budget Committee members will be available to explain all elements of the budget and to address any concerns and questions.
New Bible Study — Our new bible study continues on Wednesday, December 7th with the Gospel of Matthew “Who is Jesus?” This will coincide with our Advent Sermon theme, taking place at 12:00 noon every Wednesday though out December in the Fireside Room.
STILL LOOKING FOR A GOOD HOME — Do you know someone who is in need of a clothes dryer? Margaret Bohn would like to find a good home for her faithful old Whirlpool dryer who still runs great. Please give her a call at 541-301-5758.
This Week at Grace
MONDAY the 5TH: Lay Ministry Meeting 12:30 pm
WEDNESDAY the 7th: “Who is Jesus?” Bible Study 12:00 noon
SATURDAY the 10th: Men’s Breakfast Study 8:30 am
SUNDAY the 11th: Bible Discussions — Money Matters 8:45 am
Sunday School for All Ages 9:00 am
Worship 10:00 am
Coffee Connection and Cookie Crawl 11:00 am
Voter’s Meeting 11:15 am
Grace Lutheran Church
660 Frances Lane
Ashland, OR 97520
541-482-1661
Pastor Joshua Heimbuck — heimbuck@me.com