First Sunday of Christmas Order of Service

Worship Service

We will gather together for worship service on Zoom using the following information:
MEETING ID: 5977365682
MEETING PASSWORD: 204934

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St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church         

First Sunday of Christmas  Coronavirus  

College and Career Student Sunday 

12-27-2020     10:00AM Worship

ENTRANCE SONG: “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing”

THE OPENING RITE:

L   A girl-to-be mother was pregnant before her wedding.

C A soon-to-be stepfather was willing but confused.

L   A birth occurred outside the inn in a too busy world.

C Angels hovered, shepherds hastened, a star sparkled, and wise men searched.

L   The baby was named Jesus on his eighth day of life.

C The angel had announced this name before he was conceived.

L   He was presented to God in the Temple on his fortieth day. 

C  Old Simeon and old Anna saw salvation in that newly born child.

L   A paranoid king murdered the innocent children to destroy him.

C An escape to Egypt saved the one child.

L   He grew up in Nazareth.

C He was lost when he was twelve.

L   He was found back in Jerusalem learning and teaching.

C He returned to Nazareth growing in size and spirit.

L   It was one birth, one child, one life.

C It was like no other birth and an extraordinary life.

L   The facts are limited, the details missing.

C The effect is amazing, the joy unlimited.

L   Scripture says, when the time was right, God sent the Son.

C He came among us.

He was one of us.

L   A word took shape, a child was born.

C He lived to die,

and he died to deliver us from grave and hell!

L   Please let us pray with grateful and willing hearts…

C Saving God, you sent your child Jesus to live among us and to embrace us with a love that will never be defeated. Be as real to us as you were to our biblical ancestors; grant us eyes to see your

salvation and hearts to gladly receive it. Help us to grow in his love, to increase in his wisdom, and to live according to his word.  Always, Amen.  

FIRST READING: Isaiah 61:10 – 62:3 [Rejoicing in the promise of restoration as a people. The future is bright!]

10 I delight greatly in the Lord;
    my soul rejoices in my God.
For he has clothed me with garments of salvation
    and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness,
as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest,
    and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
11 For as the soil makes the sprout come up
    and a garden causes seeds to grow,
so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness
    and praise spring up before all nations.

62 For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent,
    for Jerusalem’s sake I will not remain quiet,
till her vindication shines out like the dawn,
    her salvation like a blazing torch.
2 The nations will see your vindication,
    and all kings your glory;
you will be called by a new name
    that the mouth of the Lord will bestow.
3 You will be a crown of splendor in the Lord’s hand,
    a royal diadem in the hand of your God.

SONG SELECTION

SECOND READING:  Galatians 4:4-7 [Rejoicing in the redemption from sin’s slavery. We are adopted as heirs!] 

4 But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law,

5 to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.

6 Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.”

7 So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.

BRIEF WORDS FROM OUR COLLEGE AND CAREER STUDENTS 

    [We hope to hear from some of our St. Peter’s students who are continuing their educational journey beyond high school. The list our Scholarship Committee has – with apologies for omissions – includes: Randy Rivera, Jayla Tillison, Ryleigh Mathis, Jordan Washington, Kemar Harrison, Cimone Bates, Andrea Wood, Justin Wiley, Devin Washington, Christopher Bunch, and Ayanna Joyner. There are many others who are connected to this congregation as non-member children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews…you, too, are “beloved family”.  Students, this COVID-19 season is such a challenging and confusing time!

      We pray for your good health and safety through these days, for peace and sleep, for sanity and wisdom,   for continued opportunities and the inspiration to stay on the path. And we encourage and challenge you to continue to connect your unfolding life with God’s creative and redeeming love!]   

GOSPEL VERSE:   JESUS… JESUS…   OH, WHAT A WONDERFUIL CHILD! 

   JESUS… JESUS…   SO HOLY, MEEK, AND MILD!

  NEW LIFE, NEW HOPE, TO ALL HE BRINGS; LISTEN TO THE ANGELS SING,

              “GLORY, GLORY, GLO-RY TO THE NEW BORN KING!”

GOSPEL READING: Luke 2:22-40 [Rejoicing in the birth of Jesus. God’s salvation is among us now!]  

22 When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord”[b]), 24 and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.”[c]

25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 27 Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, 28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:

29 “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
    you may now dismiss[d] your servant in peace.
30 For my eyes have seen your salvation,
31     which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
    and the glory of your people Israel.”

33 The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him.

34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against,

35 so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”

36 There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, 37 and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying.

38 Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.

39 When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth.

40 And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him.

THE SERMON:      Pastor David Maddox II  

SONG SELECTION

OFFERING PRAYER:

     Good news! Great Joy! 

     Amazing God, light has dawned on us and we want to share it… there is joy to tell and we can’t help but bear it. O how we thank you for the gift of your amazing grace in Jesus Christ! As we celebrate his birth, guide us to be bearers of light, makers of peace, and heralds of good news to all the world.  

     Always, Amen.

MUSIC SELECTION: Dennis Fortune

THE PRAYERS…  We pray that the joy and light of JESUS CHRIST will touch all lives!

THE LORD’S PRAYER

SONG SELECTION:

THE BENEDICTION