First Sunday of Christmas Worship Bulletin
St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church
First Sunday of Christmas Coronavirus
College and Career Student Sunday
12-27-2020 10:00AM Worship
OPENING SONG: “HARK! THE HERALD ANGELS SING”
- Hark! The herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn King;
Peace on earth and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled.”
Joyful, all you nations, rise; Join the triumph of the skies;
With angelic hosts proclaim, “Christ is born in Bethlehem!”
Hark! The herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn King!”
- Christ, by highest heav’n adored, Christ, the everlasting Lord,
Late in time behold him come4, Offspring of a virgin’s womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see! Hail, incarnate deity!
Pleased as man with us to dwell, Jesus, our Emmanuel!
- Hail the heav’n-born Prince of Peace! Hail, the sun of righteousness!
Light and life to all he brings, Ris’n with healing in his wings.
Mild he lays his glory by, Born that we no more may die,
Born to raise each child of earth, Born to give us second birth.
THE OPENING RITE AND PRAYER OF THE DAY:
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 Loving God, you sent your child Jesus into a world of priests and kings to teach the wise, to confound the mighty, and to show what power there is in love. Help us to grow in his love, to increase in his wisdom, and to develop as his servant people. O God, be with us – now, always, and forever. Amen.
FIRST READING: 1 Samuel 2:18-20, 26 [Samuel in the Lord’s house, serving God… growing in wisdom and stature.]
2:18 Samuel was ministering before the LORD, a boy wearing a linen ephod.
2:19 His mother used to make for him a little robe and take it to him each year, when she went up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice.
2:20 Then Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, and say, “May the LORD repay you with children by this woman for the gift that she made to the LORD”; and then they would return to their home.
2:26 Now the boy Samuel continued to grow both in stature and in favor with the LORD and with the people.
SONG SELECTION
SECOND READING: Colossians 3:12-17 [Christians reflecting Christ through their attitudes, words, and actions.]
3:12 As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.
3:13 Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.
3:14 Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.
3:15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful.
3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God.
3:17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
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: Andrea Wood, Cimone Bates, Sebastian Schroeter, Ryleigh Mathis, Tyler McCann, Ayanna Joyner, Mariah Morris, Robbie Pollock Jr., Randolph Rivera, Jaimee Tillison, Jayla Tillison, Justin Wiley, Jordan Washington, Kyle Washington-Williams. 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 continuing COVID-19 season – two years already! – 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: “HE CAME DOWN” Brown #37
- He came down that we may have love;
He came down that we may have love;
He came down that we may have love;
Hallelujah forevermore!
- He came down that we may have light…
- He came down that we may have peace…
- He came down that we may have joy…
GOSPEL READING: Luke 2:41-52 [The boy Jesus in the Temple, sharing God’s wisdom.]
INTRODUCTION OF OUR GUEST PREACHER Veronica Britto
THE MESSAGE: Joe Davis, artist, educator, and speaker with faith to share!
SONG SELECTION: “HE WANTS IT ALL”
THE OFFERING… People of God, in Jesus the Word of God became flesh to give birth to love in our hearts. How we live and how we give of our time, our abilities, and our possessions greatly affects the lives of others and become an open invitation to know and grow in God’s love. Let us be grateful and generous in our response.
OFFERING SONG:
JESUS… JESUS… OH, WHAT A WONDERFUL 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!”
OFFERING PRAYER:
Good news! Great Joy!
Amazing God, if light has dawned on us, we want to share it. And if there is joy to tell, we can’t help but proclaim 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: “GO TELL IT ON THE MOUNTAIN” Dennis Fortune
THE PRAYERS… We pray that the joy and light of JESUS CHRIST will touch all lives!
SONG SELECTION:
THE BENEDICTION by the Pastor… God sends us TO SHINE with the Light of Jesus Christ in a shadowy world!
On this first Sunday after Christmas we find the boy Samuel and the boy Jesus, each in the temple, each growing in wisdom and stature, each growing in favor with God and humankind. What is wisdom? Isn’t it more than just information and knowledge… doesn’t it involve understanding and sense and being able to make the right decisions in life? What is stature? Is it only physical size and height… or is there a stature that relates to character and integrity? IF YOU WANT TO PLEASE GOD, IF YOU WANT TO GROW SPIRITUALLY IN GODLY WISDOM AND STATURE, THEN LOOK TO JESUS, THE SON OF GOD, FOR THE PATH. St. Paul puts it something like this: Clothe yourself with love, offer and seek forgiveness with others, let Christ’s peace rule in your heart, let Christ’s word dwell in you richly, be thankful, and reflect Christ in all that you say and do and become. This Christlike living not only will please God but might find favor with other people. But, then again, when Christ walked this path, it ultimately led to his crucifixion. In 2022, decide to pray for God’s wisdom more than you long for the world’s praise… make and take the time to listen to and study God’s Word, get wise, grow bigger in spiritual stature.