Third Sunday of Advent Worship Service | 12-15-24
12-15-2024 10:00AM Hybrid Worship
+ Gathering +
INTRODUCTORY WORDS TO TODAY’S WORSHIP:
Brothers and sisters, welcome in the mighty name of God, in the saving name of (+) Jesus, and in the strong name of the Spirit. Once again we are confronted by John the Baptist. The message is as wild as the man who says it, as wild as the desert where he speaks. This bold man humbles the exalted and exalts the humble, blasts the satisfied and warns the willing, then confesses that he is not the Messiah, only the beginning of God’s new day. Someone’s coming! Something big is about to happen! So you better get ready! WHAT SHOULD WE DO THEN? Get ready for Christ by accepting radical change in your life.
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!
OPENING VERSES, LIGHTING THE ADVENT WREATH AND PRAYER:
L Even in the dry desert there is life, even in the wilderness of our soul there is hope.
C Let us strengthen the weak hands and encourage those whose spirits are crushed.
L Say to those of a fearful heart, “Rejoice with all your heart! The hour of the Lord is near.”
C Let us lift up our heads and rejoice! Our redemption is drawing near!
L Let sorrow turn to joy, let fear turn to faith, and let there be hope when hope is gone!
C The Lord rejoices over us with gladness and renews us in his love!
The Lord is our strength and our salvation!
[Three candles are lit on the Advent wreath. Sometimes the first is called the Candle of Hope,
and the second is called the Candle of Peace.]
L The third Advent candle is sometimes called the Candle of Joy. Joy is like an underground spring that wells up within us, but joy is also a choice, an attitude. Like a muscle, it needs to be exercised in order to develop.
And we pray this morning…
C O Lord, bless us as we light three candles of this Advent wreath.
Open our eyes and ears to see, to hear, and to REJOICE in your saving presence.
Open our hearts to REPENT from our sins and to turn to lives of joyful faith and service.
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: Zephaniah 3:14-20
[God’s judgment brings repentance brings salvation brings celebration.]
3:14 Sing aloud, O daughter Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem!
3:15 The LORD has taken away the judgments against you; he has turned away your enemies. The king of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst; you shall fear disaster no more.
3:16 On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: “Do not fear, O Zion; do not let your hands grow weak.
3:17 The LORD, your God, is in your midst, a warrior who gives victory; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will renew you in his love; he will exult over you with loud singing
3:18 as on a day of festival.” I will remove disaster from you, so that you will not bear reproach for it.
3:19 I will deal with all your oppressors at that time. And I will save the lame and gather the outcast, and I will change their shame into praise and renown in all the earth.
3:20 At that time I will bring you home, at the time when I gather you; for I will make you renowned and praised among all the peoples of the earth, when I restore your fortunes before your eyes, says the LORD.
SONG SELECTION ALL SAINTS CHOIR
SECOND READING: Philippians 4:4-7
[God’s presence and peace bring thanksgiving and hope in any circumstance.]
4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.
4:5 Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near.
4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
4:7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
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: Luke 3:7-18
[God’s good news brings our radical generosity and real justice.]
3:7 John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?
3:8 Therefore, bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham.
3:9 Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”
3:10 And the crowds asked him, “What, then, should we do?”
3:11 In reply he said to them, “Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none, and whoever has food must do likewise.”
3:12 Even tax collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, “Teacher, what should we do?”
3:13 He said to them, “Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you.”
3:14 Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what should we do?” He said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages.”
3:15 As the people were filled with expectation and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah,
3:16 John answered all of them by saying, “I baptize you with water, but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the strap of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
3:17 His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
3:18 So with many other exhortations he proclaimed the good news to the people.
THE SERMON: Pastor Gwen or Pastor Neil
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 +
OFFERING OF TITHES (10% giving) AND GIFTS… We bring our gifts each week, we offer our lives each day!
Those in the Sanctuary can put their offering in the offering plate to share their gratitude and their generosity in response to Christ’s love. Those who are farther away might: mail a check or money order to St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, 2169 74th Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19138… contribute online through bit.ly/stpetersgiving and set up a one-time donation or a recurring weekly gift to selected categories… or text Give+ at 833-914-0896 and follow the instructions to register and record your contribution. God has blessed us to be a blessing!
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. 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! Troubles, turmoil, and temptations surround and threaten us. 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: “You Better Min’!”
- You’d better min’ how you talk, you’d better min’ what you talkin’ about,
You got to give account in de Judgment, you’d better min’!
You’d better min’ (you better min’)… you’d better min’ (you better min’)…
You got to give account in de Judgment, you’d better min’!
- You’d better min’ how you sing, you’d better min’ what you singin’ about…
- You’d better min’ how you shout, you’d better min’ what you shoutin’ about…