Liturgy for December 21, 2014

 

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Welcome and Announcements

Entering into God’s Presence

* Call to Worship: Psalm 148

* Invocation: Psalm 121:1-2

Minister: We lift up our eyes to the hills. From where does our help come?

ALL: Our help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

* God’s Greeting: Galatians 1:3-5

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

* Opening Prayer

* Song of Praise: “O Come, All You Faithful” #341:1-3

Confession of Sin

* Reading of the Law: Galatians 4:1-5

* Congregational Confession of Sin (unison)

O Lord our God, we come to You as Your sons and servants, confessing that we were born in sin and have continued in sin. We have broken Your commandments. We have fallen short of Your glory. We have not loved You with all our heart, mind, soul and strength. We have not loved our neighbor as ourselves. We acknowledge our guilt. We rightly fall under Your curse and judgment. Blot out our transgressions, wash us from our iniquities. Forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

O Lord, the only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. O Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father, who was made man to save your people from their sins, have mercy upon us, and blot out our sins and wash us from our iniquities.  You who were made manifest to destroy the works of the devil, be gracious to us and enable us to renounce and forsake them. You who are the great advocate with the Father, receive our prayer. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

* Declaration of Pardon: Isaiah 53:5, 6, 11

Response of Gratitude

Song of Thanksgiving: “Once in Royal David’s City” 

1 Once in royal David’s city
Stood a lowly cattle shed,
Where a mother laid her baby
In a manger for his bed:
Mary was that mother mild,
Jesus Christ her little child.
5 Not in that poor lowly stable,
With the oxen standing by,
We shall see him, but in heaven,
Set at God’s right hand on high;
When like stars his children crowned
All in white shall wait around.
2 He came down to earth from heaven
Who is God and Lord of all,
And his shelter was a stable,
And his cradle was a stall:
With the poor, and mean, and lowly,
Lived on earth our Savior holy.

The Creed: Apostles’ Creed

Offerings (Guests: Please feel under no compulsion to give.): 2 Corinthians 9:8

Congregational Prayer (ending in the Lord’s Prayer)

Service of the Word

* Scripture Lessons: Psalm 107:10-16; Luke 1:76-79 (text)

* Song of Preparation: Bless’d Be the God of Israel (tune only: Ellacombe)

1 Bless’d be the God of Israel,
Who comes to set us free;
He visits and redeems us;
He grants us liberty.
The prophets spoke of mercy,
of freedom and release;
God shall fulfill his promise,
and bring his people peace.

2 He from the house of David,
a child of grace has giv’n;
A Savior comes among us,
to raise us up to heav’n.

Before him goes his herald,
Forerunner in the way,
The prophet of salvation,
the harbinger of day.

3 On prisoners of darkness,
the sun begins to rise,
The dawning of forgiveness,
upon the sinner’s eyes.
He guides the feet of pilgrims,
along the paths of peace.
Oh, bless our God and Savior,
with songs that never cease!

Sermon: “The Sunrise Shall Visit Us from On High”

1. “To Give Knowledge of Salvation”
2. “To Give Light to Those Who Sit in Darkness”

Leaving to Serve

* Song of Consecration: Hark! The Herald Angels Sing #339:1-3

* Doxology (unannounced): Angels, from the Realms of Glory #340:5

* Benediction: 2 Corinthians 13:14

* Amen! Three-Fold Amen


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