Worship Bulletin for the 4th Sunday of Advent – 12/21/25
Fourth Sunday of Advent
12-21-2025 10:00AM Worship (in person and online)
+ Gathering +
INTRODUCTORY WORDS TO TODAY’S WORSHIP:
Sisters and brothers, welcome in the mighty name of God, the saving name of (+) Jesus, and the strong name of the Spirit. It didn’t make any sense at all either to the future husband or to his bride-to-be that she was a pregnant virgin. How can this be? Somehow the Holy Spirit is responsible. And why? Because God promised us a Savior, a deliverer, a liberator, to save us from the power of sin and death. What truly ought to stun us is the good news that God loved us that much! COME, LORD JESUS!
OPENING SONG: “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel”
(1) O come, O come, Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel,
that mourns in lonely exile here, until the Son of God appear.
REJOICE! REJOICE! EMMANUEL SHALL COME TO YOU, O ISRAEL.
(2) O come, O Wisdom from on high, embracing all things far and nigh:
in strength and beauty come and stay; teach us your will and guide our way.
(3) O come, O Key of David, come and open wide our heav’nly home;
make safe the way that leads on high, and close the path to misery.
(4) O come, O King of nations, come, O cornerstone that binds in one:
refresh the hearts that long for you; restore the broken, make us new.
OPENING VERSES, LIGHTING THE ADVENT WREATH, AND PRAYER:
L In the midst of this world’s busy, uncertain, tragic, and dull moments a message is received:
C God will send us a little child.
L Do you know the child’s name?
C Some call him Emmanuel, some Prince of Peace, some Christ our Lord, and his birth name is Jesus.
L Why would he come down from heaven to share our life and our pain?
C Because our God is a GOOD NEWS God, and God’s Son would willingly die to give us life.
[All four candles are lit on the Advent wreath.]
L Today we remember the Candle of Hope, the Candle of Peace, and the Candle of Joy as we light the Candle
of Love. And we pray together…
C O Lord, bless us as we light the four candles of this Advent wreath.
May we listen from our hearts and dance from our souls at the miracle of GOD-WITH-US.
Help us to risk yes and to say yes to your birth in our lives and world.
We renounce evil; we claim your love; we choose to be set free and made whole.
Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly! Hallelujah!
+ Holy Word +
FIRST READING: Isaiah 7:10-16
[The promise of security in a little baby born to a young woman – “GOD WITH US”!
SONG SELECTION ALL SAINTS CHOIR
SECOND READING: Romans 1:1-7
[The offer of salvation in the coming of Christ – a promise fulfilled!]
GOSPEL VERSE: “We need to hear from You, we need a word from You.
If we don’t hear from You, what will we do?
Wanting You more each day, show us Your perfect way.
There is no other way that we can live.”
GOSPEL READING: Matthew 1:18-25
[The mystery of God’s incarnation invitation – a Savior!]
THE SERMON: Rev. Clesha Staten
SONG RESPONSE: “Hush, Hush, Somebody’s Callin’ My Name”
(1) Hush… hush… Somebody’s callin’ my name. Hush… hush… Somebody’s callin’ my name.
Hush… hush… Somebody’s callin’ my name. O my Lord, O my Lord, what shall I do, what shall I do?
(2) Sounds like Jesus, Somebody’s callin’…
(3) Soon one morning, Somebody’s callin’ …
(4) I’m so glad, got me religion on time…
(5) I’m so glad, trouble don’t last always…
(6) Hush… hush… Somebody’s callin’ my name…
THE PRAYERS… THE GREAT O ANTIPHONS OF ADVENT
[The GREAT O ANTIPHONS are seven brief prayers that are traditionally chanted or sung from December 17- 23, one for
each day until Christmas Eve. The precise origin of these texts is unknown. However, by the 8th and 9th centuries, the
church in Rome and monastic communities throughout western Europe were using them at evening worship services
during the season of Advent. These ancient prayers beautifully express the Christian church’s profound longing for her
long-expected Savior. Each antiphon begins with the acclamation “O”, addresses Jesus Christ by one of the Messiah
titles derived from the Old Testament, and ends with a heartfelt appeal to “come” and save us in some particular way.
The sequence of these antiphons is precise, progressing from before the creation of the universe, through the messianic
prophecies of Israel, and culminating with the incarnation and birth of Christ in Bethlehem. Around the 12th century the
GREAT O ANTIPHONS were collected into a Latin verse hymn, which was later translated by the English hymn writer
John Mason Neale, finally becoming the beloved Advent hymn, “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel”.]
(sing at beginning) “OH… HEAR US. OH, HEAR US. OH… HEAR US, LORD. HEAR US, LORD… HEAR US.”
L O Wisdom, you come forth from the mouth of the Most High. You create the universe and hold all things
together with strength and sweetness.
C (say) O come to teach us the way of truth.
(sing) “HEAR US, LORD… HEAR US.”
L O Adonai, ruler of the House of Israel, you appeared to Moses in a burning bush and you gave him the
law on Mount Sinai.
C (say) O come and stretch out your mighty hand to redeem us.
(sing) “HEAR US, LORD, HEAR US.
L O Root of Jesse, you have been raised up as a sign for all peoples; kings fall silent before you, and nations
bow down and worship you.
C (say) O come to deliver us and do not delay.
(sing) “HEAR US, LORD, HEAR US.”
L O Key of David, royal wand of the house of Israel, what you open no one else can close again; what you
close no one else can open.
C (say) O come to lead the captives from prison; free those who sit in darkness and death’s shadow.
(sing) “HEAR US, LORD, HEAR US.”
L O Radiant Dawn, and light of day, you are the splendor of eternal light and the sun of justice.
C (say) O come and shine on those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death.
(sing) “HEAR US, LORD, HEAR US.”
L O King of the nations, you are the ruler that all people desire, you are the cornerstone that unites all
people.
C (say) O come and deliver the creatures you fashioned from the dust of the earth.
(sing) “HEAR US, LORD, HEAR US.”
L O Emmanuel, you are our king and our judge, you are the one whom all peoples wait for, you are the
the Savior.
C (say) O come and save us, Lord our God… be “God-with-us” now and forever!
(sing) “HEAR US, LORD, HEAR US.”
L O God, hear your church, as we pray for the faith and the faithfulness of all who bear the name of Jesus.
C (sing) “HEAR US, LORD, HEAR US.”
L O God, hear your earth, as it longs for tender healing and for respectful care.
C (sing) “HEAR US, LORD, HEAR US.”
L O God, hear the nations, as we pray for those who hold power, as we long for justice and for peace.
C (sing) “HEAR US, LORD, HEAR US.”
L O God hear those in need, as we lift up all who suffer, who struggle, who search for healing and hope.
C (sing) “HEAR US, LORD, HEAR US.”
L O God, hear this community of faith, as we pray for families and friends who gather in this season… for
those who travel and those who host… for those who are alone and those who feel lonely… and for all
who will offer themselves in service to others this Christmas.
C (sing) “HEAR US, LORD… HEAR US.”
L Come to us in Christ, O God, and give us the gift of your Word of love in flesh and blood!
C (say) Amen and Amen! Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly, and dwell in our hearts and our hands!
(sing) “OH… HEAR US. OH, HEAR US. OH… HEAR US, LORD. HEAR US, LORD, HEAR US.”
+ Holy Meal +
OFFERING OF TITHES (10% giving) AND GIFTS… We bring our gifts each week, we offer our lives each day, in
hopeful joy and servant love. God is sharing some GOOD news through our faithful response!
2026 Offering Envelopes for St. Peter’s Church are available today.
Each box includes: envelopes for each Sunday; special envelopes for Lent, Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas; envelopes to support World Hunger, 3 local Lutheran Charity organizations, and selected Missions in their work; a monthly Building Fund
envelope to help care for God’s property; a few others. Seek to be generous, regular,
and responsible in your giving because it matters for you, for others, and for God’s Kingdom.
If you are either in the sanctuary for worship on Sundays, or “in the house” online and want offering envelopes, please let us know. And we also have the opportunity for designated online giving. You can’t fake love and connection, concern and compassion when it comes to God. It must be genuine.
SONG SELECTION: ALL SAINTS CHOIR
OFFERTORY: “Come by here, my Lord, come by here; come by here, my Lord, come by here;
Come by here, my Lord, come by here. O LORD, COME BY HERE!
(2) Someone needs You, Lord, come by here…
(3) Send a blessing, Lord, come by here… ”
OFFERING PRAYER by the Communion Assistant:
O Lord, we open our hearts and our lives to your presence and your promises! Give us the spirit and the patience, we pray, to bear your light to all who sit in the shadows of despair and darkness. Amen.
THE PREFACE:
L Sisters and brothers, the Lord be with you! C AND ALSO WITH YOU!
L Lift up your hearts! C WE LIFT THEM UP IN LOVE FOR GOD!
L Let us give thanks to the Lord our God! C IT IS RIGHT TO GIVE GOD OUR THANKS AND PRAISE!
THE EUCHARISTIC WORDS by the Celebrant, who recalls and re-enacts Jesus’ Holy Meal.
THE LORD’S PRAYER (spoken)
COMMUNION AND BLESSINGS… All believers in Christ are welcome at the Lord’s Table! The wine may be received from the pouring chalice; we also have grape juice on the tray. During the ADVENT SEASON we will not have any Communion Songs. Instead, we invite you to spend the time in quiet reflection and prayer. Without God our lives and world are filled with anxiety and chaos.
THE COMMUNION BLESSING by the Celebrant after all have communed.
POST-COMMUNION PRAYER by the Communion Assistant.
+ Sending +
BENEDICTION by the Pastor… God sends us TO SHINE with the Light of Jesus Christ in a shadowy world!
CLOSING SONG: “Joy to the World”
(1) Joy to the world, the Lord is come! Let earth receive its King;
Let ev’ry heart prepare him room And heav’n and nature sing,
And heav’n and nature sing, And heav’n, and heav’n and nature sing.
(2) Joy to the earth, the Savior reigns! Let all their songs employ,
While fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy, Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy.
(3) No more let sin and sorrow grow Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make his blessings flow Far as the curse is found.
Far as the curse is found, Far as, far as the curse is found.
(4) He rules the world with truth and grace And makes the nations prove
The glories of his righteousness And wonders of his love,
And wonders of his love, And wonders, wonders of his love.
Let Jesus be your reason for the season!
Worship the Christ.
He was born to die, he died to give us new birth.
“Happy Birthday” to Jesus and to YOU!