St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church


Second Sunday of Advent
New Member Sunday
Little Red Wagon Sunday


December 6, 2009




Prelude Once He Came in Blessing J. S. Bach

Welcome

We’re delighted to greet everyone in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, who takes away our sin and offers grace to all people. If you are a guest, please fill out the Guest Form. If you’re looking for a meaningful ministry with which to become involved, you are encouraged to speak with the Pastor.

Gathering

(We stand)
Brief Order for Confession & Forgiveness

 P We gather in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
 P God of all mercy and consolation, come to the help of your people, turning us from our sin to live for you alone. Give us the power of your Holy Spirit that we may confess our sin, receive your forgiveness, and grow into the fullness of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
C Amen.

(We kneel)
Confession
 P Most merciful God,
C we confess that we are captive to sin and cannot free ourselves. We have sinned against you in thought,
word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. For the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in your will and walk in your ways,
to the glory of your holy name. Amen.

Absolution
 P In the mercy of almighty God, Jesus Christ was given to die for us, and for his sake God forgives us all our sins. As a called and ordained minister of the church of Christ, and by his authority, I therefore declare to you the entire forgiveness of all your sins, in the name of the Father, and of the ς Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.



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(We stand)
Entrance Hymn Prepare the Royal Highway Hymn 264

Greeting
 P The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all!
C And, also with you.





Kyrie (8:30 am) Music on page 156
P In peace, let us pray to the Lord.
C Lord, have mercy.
 P For the peace from above, and for our salvation, let us pray to the Lord.
C Lord, have mercy.
 P For the peace of the whole world, for the well-being of the church of God, and for the unity of all, let us pray to the Lord.
C Lord, have mercy.
 P For this holy house, and for all who offer here their worship and praise, let us pray to the Lord.
C Lord, have mercy.
 P Help, save, comfort, and defend us, gracious Lord.
C Amen.

Prayer of the Day
 P Stir up our hearts, Lord God, to prepare the way of your only Son. By his coming give to all the people of the world knowledge of your salvation; through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you
and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.

Word

(We sit)
First Reading Malachi 3:1–4

The Lord announces a covenant with Israel. A messenger like Malachi (his name means “my messenger”) shall prepare the way for the coming of the Lord by purifying and refining God’s people, as silver and gold are refined.
See, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me, and the LORD whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple. The messenger of the covenant in whom you delight — indeed, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts. But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap; he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the descendants of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, until they present offerings to the LORD in righteousness. Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the LORD as in the days of old and as in former years.
P The Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.





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Psalm Luke 1:68-79




Blessed are you, Lord, the God of Israel,
you have come to your people and set them free.
You have raised up for us a mighty Savior,
born of the house of your servant David. R
Through your holy prophets, you promised of old to save us from our enemies,
from the hands of all who hate us,
to show mercy to our forebears,
and to remember your holy covenant.
This was the oath you swore to our father Abraham:
to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
free to worship you without fear,
holy and righteous before you, all the days of our life. R
And you, child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High,
for you will go before the Lord to prepare the way,
to give God’s people knowledge of salvation
by the forgiveness of their sins.
In the tender compassion of our God
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death,
and to guide our feet into the way of peace. R

Children’s Message

Lighting of the Advent Candle and Blessing of the Wreath

(We stand)
Gospel Acclamation



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Gospel Luke 3:1-6
P The Holy Gospel according to Saint Luke, the third chapter.
C Glory to you, O Lord.

John the Baptist is a herald of the saving Lord, whose way is prepared by “repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” As we hear the careful record of human leaders, we sense the spectrum of political and religious authority that will be challenged by this coming Lord.

In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was ruler of Galilee, and his brother Philip ruler of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias ruler of Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. He went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah, “The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’”

 P The Gospel of the Lord.
C Praise to you, O Christ.

(We sit)
Sermon “Yesterday’s Promise, Today’s Hope, Tomorrow’s Fulfillment: Pastor Robert Wallace Purification”

(We stand)
Hymn of the Day On Jordan’s Bank the Baptist’s Cry Hymn 249

Reception of New Members

Nicene Creed (8:30am)

We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father;
through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven,
was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary
and became truly human.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.



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On the third day he rose again
in accordance with the scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,*
who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified,
who has spoken through the prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.

(We kneel)
The Prayer of the People

After each prayer petition:
 P Lord in your mercy
C Hear our prayer.

 The prayers conclude:
 P Receive our prayers, holy God, and give us all we need for this day and the days to come, through the power of the Holy Spirit, and in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.
C Amen.

(We stand)
Peace
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C And also with you.
(Please feel free to move about and share God’s Peace with one another!)

Meal

(We sit)
Offering


Anthem (8:30 am) Guide Me Ever Great Redeemer Welch Folk Song
Family Choir

Anthem (11:00 am) Springs in the Desert Arthur B. Jennings Gallery Choir; Darryl Johnson, tenor







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We stand)
Offering Response Tune: Old Hundreth

 C Praise God from whom all blessings flow,
Praise Him all creatures here below,
Praise Him above ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
Amen

Offering Prayer

P God of majesty, in your might you have created all things, and you entrust to our care what you have made. Receive our offerings, and make them a sign of our dedication to provide for the needs of all people and creatures, in the name of the one who sustains all things by his word, Jesus Christ our Lord.
C Amen.

The Great Thanksgiving

P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
 P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
 P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give our thanks and praise.

Proper Preface

Sanctus Music on Page 162
Holy, holy, holy Lord. God of pow’r and might
heaven and earth are full of your glory, Hosanna, Hosanna.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.

Words of Institution

In the night in which he was betrayed, our Lord Jesus took bread and gave thanks, broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying: “Take and eat; this is my body, given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me.”

Again, after supper, he took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it for all to drink, saying: “This cup is the new covenant
in my blood, shed for you and for all people for the forgiveness of sin. Do this for the remembrance of me.”

Lord’s Prayer (Sung) Music on Page 163

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name,
thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.

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Communion
 All baptized Christians are invited to share in the Eucharist. Those who are not baptized, or wish to receive only a blessing, are asked to fold their arms over their chest. Communion will be by intinction (dipping). Please follow
the usher’s direction.

(We sit)
Music at Distribution

Agnus Dei Music on page 164

Lamb of God you take away the sin of the world: have mercy on us.
Lamb of God you take away the sin of the world: have mercy on us.
Lamb of God you take away the sin of the world: grant us peace.

Hymns 490, 494

(We stand)
Post Communion Blessing and Prayer

 P Loving God, in this meal you sustain the weary and heal the broken. May the gift of your word made flesh,
the body and blood of Christ, inspire our tongues to praise you and proclaim to the entire world the Savior,
Jesus Christ our Lord.
C Amen.
 P The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord’s face shine on you with grace and mercy. The Lord look upon you with favor and ς give you peace.
C Amen.

Sending Hymn People Look East Hymn 248

Dismissal
P Go in peace. Serve the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.

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Music reproduced with permission by Augsburg Fortress.
Liturgies License # 23349



You may use this Bulletin to cover your parking in the
Francis Marion or Hutson Street Garage.




St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church * 405 King Street * Charleston, SC * 843.723.1611




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