Christmas Service: Fountain-Grace-Trinity Lutheran Parish 2020
Service begins at Trinity.
Opening Hymn: 268 From Heaven Above (Verses 1-3 and 12-14 only)
Invocation and Call to Worship
P: The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
C: Amen
P: Prepare the way of the Lord! Make straight in the desert a highway for our God!
C: How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who bring good news.
P: Who proclaims salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.”
C: When the fullness of time came, God sent forth his Son.
P: Born of woman, born under the law.
C: To redeem those under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.
P: The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. And we have seen his glory.
C: The glory of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth!
Hymn: 283 O Come, All Ye Faithful
Confession and Absolution
P: John writes in our gospel lesson, “In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” Heavenly Father, too frequently we live in the darkness of unbelief.
C: Forgive us, Lord.
P: For our sins of the night.
C: For clinging to the darkness.
P: For our secret and hidden sins.
C: For the sins we have done to please ourselves.
P: For the sins we have done to please others.
C: Forgive those sins which we know.
P: And those sins which we do not know.
C: Forgive ours sins of apathy.
P: Callous indifference.
C: Failure to protest injustice.
P: Forgive our sin of greed.
C: Giving only what we can spare. Lord, have mercy! Christ, have mercy! Lord, have mercy.
P: Believe and receive the Gospel! Christ was prophesied. Christ was born. Christ was tempted. Christ was arrested. Christ was crucified. Christ was raised. Christ did it all for you—for your redemption and your restoration; for your salvation and your resurrection. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us and we have seen his glory—
C: The glory of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
PRAYER OF THE DAY
All-powerful and unseen God, the coming of your light into our world has brightened weary hearts with peace. Call us out of darkness, and empower us to proclaim the birth of your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen.
Service continues at Grace.
READINGS
Isaiah 52:7-10
7 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who announces peace, who brings good news, who announces salvation, who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns.’ 8 Listen! Your sentinels lift up their voices, together they sing for joy; for in plain sight they see the return of the Lord to Zion. 9 Break forth together into singing, you ruins of Jerusalem; for the Lord has comforted his people, he has redeemed Jerusalem. 10 The Lord has bared his holy arm before the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.
Galatians 4:4-7
4But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5in order to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as children. 6And because you are children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our* hearts, crying, ‘Abba!* Father!’ 7So you are no longer a slave but a child, and if a child then also an heir, through God.
Luke 2:1-14
In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 All went to their own towns to be registered. 4 Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. 5 He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.8 In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: 11 to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah,[a] the Lord. 12 This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host,[b] praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!”[c]
HYMN: 270 Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
SERMON
HYMN OF THE DAY: 289 Angels We Have Heard on High
PRAYERS
P: Dear Lord Jesus, though you’ve existed forever in a rich, joyful, loving relationship with the Father and the Holy Spirit, today we celebrate your coming to us and for us. You are the promised and much-longed-for Christ—the Messiah. Every promise God has made finds its fulfillment—its unequivocal “YES!” in you. We delight to confess the Word became flesh—
C: And dwelt among us!
P: Dear Lord Jesus, with angels, archangels, and all the company of heaven, we rejoice in the day angels sang, shepherds ran and Mary pondered. We exchange gifts and sing and celebrate and pray. Why? The Word became flesh—
C: And dwelt among us!
P: Dear Lord Jesus, we praise you for being born in Bethlehem, the “house of bread,” for we were a famished people--yearning for hope and wholeness, safety, security and salvation. That’s why you came as the Bread of Life and you’ve brought the feast of the gospel to our souls. We praise you that the Word became flesh—
C: And dwelt among us!
P: Dear Lord Jesus, we thank you for entering our world in the town of David, Israel’s shepherd-king. For what King David could never be, you’ve become for us—the Good Shepherd who laid down his life for his sheep; and now you care for us with relentless tenderness and persistent kindness. That’s why we joyfully confess the Word became flesh—
C: And dwelt among us!
P: Dear Lord Jesus, as the King of kings and Lord of lords, you are presently reigning over all things and working in all things, for your glory and our good. Hallelujah! No other kingdom is everlasting but yours; no other King is as loving. Knowing these things to be true, we have a peace which passes all understanding, mercies which cannot be measured, and grace upon grace. Jesus, we pray in your tender and trustworthy name.
C: Amen
INVITATION TO COMMUNION
WORDS OF INSTITUTION
LORD’S PRAYER
SHARING THE MEAL
COMMUNION BLESSING
This is where the Fountain portion begins.
CLOSING HYMN: 281 SILENT NIGHT
BENEDICTION
Let us end this worship proclaiming
that we have seen the glory of God
Believing that there is a light that shines in the darkness
Which the darkness shall not overcome
And may the love of the Creator
The joy of the Spirit
And the peace of the Christ-child
Be with you this Christmas, and evermore
Thanks be to God.
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