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Order of Worship for January 4, 2009
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, we
welcome all travelers to this house of worship and praise. This is the
day that the Lord has made. P: Let us all be glad and rejoice in it.
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• Prayer of the Day
• Everlasting God, the radiance of all faithful people, you brought
the nations to the brightness of your rising. Fill the world with your
glory, and show yourself to all the world through him who is the true
light and the bright morning star, your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior
and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God,
now and forever. Amen.
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• ¯Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty! Early in the morning our song
shall rise to thee. Holy, holy, holy! Merciful and mighty, God in three
persons, blessed Trinity!
• This church confesses the Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, in
the one and only God.
• We confess that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior and the Gospel as
the power of God for the salvation for all who believe.
• I believe that Jesus Christ is the Word of God incarnate,
through whom everything was made and through whose life, death and
resurrection God fashions a new creation.
• We proclaim that God’s message to us is both Law and Gospel and is
the Word of God, revealing judgment and mercy through word and deed,
beginning with the Word in creation, continuing in the history of Israel
and centering in all its fullness in the person and work of Jesus
Christ.
• I believe that the Bible is the written Word of God. Inspired by
God’s Spirit speaking through their authors, they record and announce
God’s revelation centering in Jesus Christ. Through them, God’s Spirit
speaks to us to create and sustain our faith and fellowship for service
in the world.
• We confess that we have sinned and have fallen short of the glory
of God. The Law is good, pure, right and holy; however, it is impossible
for us to keep the law and all of the commandments. While the law comes
from the very heart of God, so does His forgiveness through faith in
Jesus in Christ.
• I believe that faith comes by hearing and by hearing of the word of
God. (Rom. 10:18) I have been justified through faith and I have peace
with God through my Lord Jesus Christ. (Rom. 5:1)
• Therefore, my brothers, I want you to know that through Jesus, the
forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to us all. Through Him everyone who
believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by
the law of Moses. (Act. 13:38-39)
• The Apostle’s Creed describes the faith into which we are baptized
and therefore let us join together in confessing our faith according to
the words of the Apostle’s Creed.
• I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
• I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord, who was conceived
by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius
Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried; he descended into hell. On
the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, he is seated at
the right hand of the Father, and he will come to judge the living and
the dead.
• I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion
of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and
the life everlasting. Amen.
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• ¯LBW 46: The First Noel
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• Isaiah 60:1-6
• Darius, King of Persia, has permitted the people of Israel to
return to Jerusalem. The prophet tells the people to arise, for joy,
prosperity and salvation are now in the city; God is with them; they
will reflect the presence and power of God.
• The Glory of Zion
• 1 “Arise, shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the LORD rises upon you.
• 2 See, darkness covers the earth
and thick darkness is over the peoples,
but the LORD rises upon you
and his glory appears over you.
• 3 Nations will come to your light,
and kings to the brightness of your dawn.
• 4 “Lift up your eyes and look about you:
All assemble and come to you;
your sons come from afar,
and your daughters are carried on the arm.
• 5 Then you will look and be radiant,
your heart will throb and swell with joy;
the wealth on the seas will be brought to you,
to you the riches of the nations will come.
• 6 Herds of camels will cover your land,
young camels of Midian and Ephah.
And all from Sheba will come,
bearing gold and incense
and proclaiming the praise of the LORD.
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• ¯LBW 40: What Child Is This
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• Ephesians 3:1-12
• It is part of God’s plan that both Jews and Gentiles are called to
share in Christ’s saving activity. This is the “mystery of Christ”.
Paul’s insistence on Gentiles being full and equal members of the church
has led to his imprisonment.
• Paul the Preacher to the Gentiles
• 1For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of
you Gentiles—
• 2Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that
was given to me for you, 3that is, the mystery made known to me by
revelation, as I have already written briefly. 4In reading this, then,
you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ,
5which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been
revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets. 6This
mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with
Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the
promise in Christ Jesus.
• 7I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me
through the working of his power. 8Although I am less than the least of
all God’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the
unsearchable riches of Christ, 9and to make plain to everyone the
administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in
God, who created all things. 10His intent was that now, through the
church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers
and authorities in the heavenly realms, 11according to his eternal
purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. 12In him and
through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.
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• ¯WOV 646: We Three Kings
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• Matthew 2:1-12
• “Wise men” (in Latin: magi) were members of a Persian caste of
astrologers and interpreters of dreams. Astrology was widely accepted
then. A star was associated with each person; the way the star rose told
the wise men that a king had been born. A later church tradition called
the wise men kings.
• The Visit of the Magi
• 1After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King
Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2and asked, “Where is the
one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and
have come to worship him.”
• 3When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with
him. 4When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and
teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. 5"In
Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has
written:
• 6“‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler
who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.’”
• 7Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact
time the star had appeared. 8He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and
make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to
me, so that I too may go and worship him.”
• 9After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star
they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the
place where the child was. 10When they saw the star, they were
overjoyed. 11On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother
Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their
treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of
myrrh. 12And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they
returned to their country by another route.
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• P This is the gospel of our Lord. C: Praise to you, O Christ
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• ¯LBW 50: Angels from the Realms of Glory
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• The Message: Our Epiphany
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• Response to the Word and Prayer
• We are encouraged, comforted and urged to live lives worthy of God,
who calls us into his kingdom and glory.
• I thank God for receiving His word. (1 Thessalonians 2:12-14)
• We join the wise men from the East and humbly offer gifts at the feet
of Jesus. We pray to God who shows the glory of Christ in all the world.
• Glory and praise to you, O living God.
• We have a revelation in Jesus Christ who was born so that the whole
world knows that our God loves us.
• Thank you God for sending your only Son to teach us Your ways.
• We pray for the travelers, the sick, the suffering, the hungry, the
oppressed and those in prison.
• Everyone is a child of God, an heir of the heavenly kingdom.
• We pray for our church, our families, our community, and the entire
creation that God made, that by Your Grace, we may have everlasting
life.
• I am thankful to You, Lord, for what you have given us, and I look
forward to Your return.
• We pray this all in Jesus’ name, who has also taught us to pray . . .
• Our Father . . . (Lord’s Prayer)
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• Our Thankoffering
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• ¯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.
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• X Benediction & AMEN
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• ¯LBW 82: As with Gladness
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