Third Sunday of Advent Worship Bulletin

St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT  

12-11-2022       10:00AM Hybrid Worship          

+   Gathering   +

OPENING SONG “It’s About Time for His Coming”

  •    It’s about time for his coming, it’s about time for his coming,

It’s about time for his coming – the coming of the Lord!

It’s about time for his coming, it’s about time for his coming,

It’s about time for his coming – the coming of the Lord!

  •    It’s about time, are you ready?
  •   It’s about time, yes I’m ready!
  •   It’s about time, HALLELUJAH!

GREETING, LIGHTING THE ADVENT WREATH, AND PRAYER:         

L   Grace to you and peace from (+) God, our life, mercy, and might;

C And also with you.

L   Even in the dry desert there is life, even in the wilderness of our soul there is hope.

C We will strengthen the weak hands and make firm our weak knees.

L   Say to those of a fearful heart, “Be strong! The hour of the Lord is near.”

C Captives will be released, the distressed relieved, and those who are dead raised up.

L   Be patient, be encouraged; it won’t be too much longer.

C There is no need to fear, for God is coming to save!

L   Leap and sing for joy! God’s promises are true.

C Even now springs of living water rise up to quench our thirsting souls!

[Three candles are lit on the Advent wreath. Sometimes the first is called the Candle of Hope,

the second is called the Candle of Peace , and the third is called the Candle of Joy.]

L   Let us pray.

C O Lord, bless us as we light three candles of this Advent wreath.

Open our distracted eyes, unstop our preoccupied ears, and heal our arthritic spirits so that we

don’t miss the surprises  of Your presence. 

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 35:1-10    [A vision from exile – the desert in bloom, a road back to joy!]

35:1 The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad, the desert shall rejoice and blossom; like the crocus

35:2 it shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the LORD, the majesty of our God.

35:3 Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees.

35:4 Say to those who are of a fearful heart, “Be strong, do not fear! Here is your God. He will come with vengeance, with terrible recompense. He will come and save you.”

35:5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped;

35:6 then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy. For waters shall break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert;

35:7 the burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water; the haunt of jackals shall become a swamp, the grass shall become reeds and rushes.

35:8 A highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Holy Way; the unclean shall not travel on it, but it shall be for God’s people; no traveler, not even fools, shall go astray.

35:9 No lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it; they shall not be found there, but the redeemed shall walk there.

35:10 And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

SONG SELECTION:   All Saints Choir    

SECOND READING:   James 5:7-10    [Patience in the time of trouble – don’t lose hope in God!]

5:7 Be patient, therefore, beloved, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious crop from the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains.

5:8 You also must be patient. Strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near.

5:9 Beloved, do not grumble against one another, so that you may not be judged. See, the Judge is standing at the doors!

5:10 As an example of suffering and patience, beloved, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.

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:   Matthew 11:2-11   [The unexpected Messiah – love and mercy, not terror!]

11:2 When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent word by his disciples

11:3 and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?”

11:4 Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see:

11:5 the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them.

11:6 And blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me.”

11:7 As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to look at? A reed shaken by the wind?

11:8 What then did you go out to see? Someone dressed in soft robes? Look, those who wear soft robes are in royal palaces.

11:9 What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.

11:10 This is the one about whom it is written, ‘See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.’

11:11 Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

THE SERMON:       Linda Crawford

SONG RESPONSE:       “Steal Away”                                                                     Brown #175

THE PRAYERS…  We pray for the world to be redeemed, the Church reformed, and all people restored!

(sung at beginning and end)   “Oh… hear us.     Oh, hear us.     Oh… hear us, Lord.     Hear us, Lord… hear us.”

    (sung after each intercession) “Hear us, Lord… hear us.”

+   Holy Meal   +  

TITHES (10% giving) AND GIFTS…  We faithfully undertake GOD’S MISSION with our money and our lives!

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 BLESSINGSAll believers in Christ are welcome at the Lord’s Table! We will have “continuous distribution” with wafers and either wine or grape juice. CHRIST COMES TO US IN BREAD AND WINE AND BLESSING, BRINGING US PEACE, UNITY, STRENGTH, AND HOPE! 

[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 are empty and barren, without hope! Sometimes troubles surround us and turmoil makes our hearts shudder and grow weary. And sometimes temptation leads us astray. Can we recognize our deep need and look for those signs of God’s saving  grace?  

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: “Oh, I Woke Up This Morning”                                                          Brown #166