+ SECOND SUNDAY OF CHRISTMAS +
JANUARY 2, 2022
WELCOME
A warm welcome to all who have gathered here for worship this morning. With God as our Father, we gather as a family in Christ to sing his praises and learn faithfulness and obedience. We worship in the Name of our Lord by whose sacrifice we have been made saints. What a joy to be gathered around The Table of the Lord with the whole company of heaven and each other. Guests and visitors, we are happy that you have joined us in worship. If you have not done so already, please honor us by signing our Guest Book in the church’s entrance hall as you leave. If you have no church home of your own in the area, we invite you to make Grace Lutheran the center of your worship, learning, fellowship, and service. Please join us for a cup of coffee after this morning’s worship, and let us become better acquainted with you as you get to know us better. Come to worship with us again and often!
PRAYER BEFORE WORSHIP
O Lord, my creator, redeemer, and comforter, as I come to worship You in spirit and truth, I humbly pray that You would open my heart to the preaching of Your Word so that I may repent of my sins, believe in Jesus Christ as my only Savior, and grow in grace and holiness. Hear me for the sake of His name. Amen.
+ DIVINE SERVICE +
Setting four LSB 203
PRE-SERVICE MUSIC
CHIMES
WELCOME
PRELUDE Away in a Manager — Carl Muller
Tatsiana Asheichyk (Organ)
686 COME, THOU FOUNT OF EVERY BLESSING
Text and tune: Public domain
(Stand)
CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION
(The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.)
Pastor In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Congregation Amen.
Pastor Our help is in the name of the Lord,
Congregation who made heaven and earth.
Pastor If You, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?
Congregation But with You there is forgiveness; therefore You are feared.
Pastor 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.
Congregation Almighty God, have mercy upon us, forgive us our sins, and lead us to everlasting life. Amen.
Pastor Almighty God, in His mercy, has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I, therefore, forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Congregation Amen.
THE PASSING OF PEACE
Pastor Forgiven and reconciled by God, let us be reconciled with one another and share the peace of the Lord as we greet each other.
(Following the confession and absolution, the people may greet one another in the name of the Lord, saying, “Peace be with you,” as a sign of reconciliation and of the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Matthew 5:22–24; Ephesians 4:1–3).)
(Stand)
+ SERVICE OF THE WORD +
KYRIE LSB 204
946 GLORY TO GOD, WE GIVE YOU THANKS AND PRAISE
Text: © 1991 Kevin Mayhew Ltd. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110004628
Tune: © Oxford University Press. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110004628
SALUTATION AND PRAYER OF THE DAY
Pastor The Lord be with you.
Congregation And also with you.
Congregation Almighty God, You have poured into our hearts the true Light of Your incarnate Word. Grant that this Light may shine forth in our lives; 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.
(Sit)
OLD TESTAMENT READING 1 Kings 3:4–15
4 The king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place. Solomon used to offer a thousand burnt offerings on that altar. 5At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and God said, “Ask what I shall give you.” 6And Solomon said, “You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant David my father, because he walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart toward you. And you have kept for him this great and steadfast love and have given him a son to sit on his throne this day. 7And now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of David my father, although I am but a little child. I do not know how to go out or come in. 8And your servant is in the midst of your people whom you have chosen, a great people, too many to be numbered or counted for multitude. 9Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?”
10It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. 11And God said to him, “Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches or the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, 12behold, I now do according to your word. Behold, I give you a wise and discerning mind, so that none like you has been before you and none like you shall arise after you. 13I give you also what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that no other king shall compare with you, all your days. 14And if you will walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days.”
15And Solomon awoke, and behold, it was a dream. Then he came to Jerusalem and stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and offered up burnt offerings and peace offerings, and made a feast for all his servants.
Assistant This is the Word of the Lord.
Congregation Thanks be to God.
EPISTLE Ephesians 1:3–14
3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. 7In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 9making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.
11In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, 12so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. 13In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.
Assistant This is the Word of the Lord.
Congregation Thanks be to God.
SPECIAL MUSIC Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring — J. S. Bach
Tatsiana Asheichyk (Organ)
(Stand)
ALLELUIA AND VERSE
Congregation Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Congregation These things are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.
Congregation Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
HOLY GOSPEL Luke 2:40–52
Pastor The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke, the second chapter.
Congregation Glory to You, O Lord.
40The child [Jesus] grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him.
41Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. 42And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom. 43And when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it, 44but supposing him to be in the group they went a day’s journey, but then they began to search for him among their relatives and acquaintances, 45and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, searching for him. 46After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48And when his parents saw him, they were astonished. And his mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great distress.” 49And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” 50And they did not understand the saying that he spoke to them. 51And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart.
52And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.
Pastor This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Congregation Praise to You, O Christ.
THE FIRST ARTICLE
Creation
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.
What does this mean?
I believe that God has made me and all creatures; that He has given me my body and soul, eyes, ears, and all my members, my reason and all my senses, and still takes care of them.
He also gives me clothing and shoes, food and drink, house and home, wife and children, land, animals, and all I have. He richly and daily provides me with all that I need to support this body and life.
He defends me against all danger and guards and protects me from all evil. All this He does only out of fatherly, divine goodness and mercy, without any merit or worthiness in me. For all this it is my duty to thank and praise, serve and obey Him.
This is most certainly true.
(Sit)
376 ONCE IN ROYAL DAVID’S CITY
Text and tune: Public domain
SERMON Has anyone seen Jesus? — Pr. Josh Text: Luke 2:40-52 (Listen to audio recording)
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH
OFFERINGS ARE BROUGHT FORWARD
OFFERTORY PRAYER
Congregation Lord our God, Maker of all things. Through your goodness, you have blessed us with these gifts. With them, we offer ourselves, our time, and our possessions, signs of your gracious love. Receive them for the sake of him who offered himself for us, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
+ SERVICE OF THE SACRAMENT +
(Stand)
PREFACE LSB 208
Pastor The Lord be with you.
Congregation And also with you.
Pastor Lift up your hearts.
Congregation We lift them to the Lord.
Pastor Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
Congregation It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
Pastor It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, O Lord, holy Father, almighty and everlasting God, for the countless blessings You so freely bestow on us and all creation. Above all, we give thanks for Your boundless love shown to us when You sent Your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, into our flesh and laid on Him our sin, giving Him into death that we might not die eternally. Because He is now risen from the dead and lives and reigns to all eternity, all who believe in Him will overcome sin and death and will rise again to new life. 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 LSB 208
PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING
Pastor 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.
In the beginning You created all things by Your Word; and in the fullness of time Your Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth.
Let Your Word made flesh dwell richly among us that, faithfully eating His body and drinking His blood, we may receive the fullness of Your grace and truth in Christ Jesus, our Lord.
Hear us as we pray in His name and as He has taught us:
LORD’S PRAYER
Congregation 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
Pastor 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
Pastor The peace of the Lord be with you always.
Congregation Amen.
550 LAMB OF GOD |
Text and tune: © 1985 Straightway Music, admin. EMI. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110004628
(Sit)
DISTRIBUTION
(The pastor and those who assist him receive the body and blood of Christ first and then distribute them to those who come to receive, saying:)
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.
384 OF THE FATHER’S LOVE BEGOTTEN
Text and tune: Public domain
(Stand)
Pastor The body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ strengthen and preserve you in body and soul to life everlasting. Depart + in peace.
Congregation Amen.
NUNC DIMITTIS LSB 211
PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING
Congregation 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 LSB 212
Pastor Let us bless the Lord.
Congregation Thanks be to God.
BENEDICTION
Pastor 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!
Congregation Amen.
725 CHILDREN OF THE HEAVENLY FATHER
Text: © Augsburg Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110004628
Tune: Public domain
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Divine Service, Setting Four from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2021 Concordia Publishing House.
STUDY OPPORTUNITIES at Grace: The Tuesday morning Women’s Study will resume Tuesday, January 11th at 10:00 am in the Fireside Room. Ashland/Phoenix Small Group study meets bi-monthly at 2:00 pm on the first and third Wednesdays. Next NewMen’s Coffee Study is scheduled for Saturday morning, January 8th, beginning at 8:30 am. Set these times aside now for a good discussion and fellowship.
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