Sunday Worship - December 20, 2020

Sunday, December 20, 2020
Fourth Sunday of Advent
 
Allison Hearst and Terry Koncel 
Prelude  O Little Town of Bethlehem (ELW 279)

1 O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie!
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by;
yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting light.
The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.

2 For Christ is born of Mary, and, gathered all above
while mortals sleep, the angels keep their watch of wond'ring love.
O morning stars, together proclaim the holy birth,
and praises sing to God the king, and peace to all the earth!

Pastor Daniel welcomes the church to worship. 
GREETING
 
Wreath lighting this morning will be by the Mrazek Family
Lighting the Advent Wreath
Blessed are you, O Lord our God, ruler of the universe.
In your Son, Emmanuel,
you have shown us your light
and saved us from the power of sin.
Bless us as we light the candles on this wreath.
Increase our longing for your presence,
that at the celebration of your Son’s birth
his Spirit might dwell anew in our midst,
for he is our light and our salvation.
Blessed be God forever.
Amen.
 
Ben Dahlke will lead the assembly in our gathering song. 
Gathering Song The Angel Gabriel from Heaven Came (ELW 265)

1 The angel Gabriel from heaven came, with wings as drifted snow, with eyes as flame:
"All hail to thee, O lowly maiden Mary, most highly favored lady." Gloria!

2 "For know a blessed mother thou shalt be, all generations laud and honor thee;
thy son shall be Emmanuel, by seers foretold, most highly favored lady." Gloria!

3 Then gentle Mary meekly bowed her head; "To me be as it pleaseth God," she said.
"My soul shall laud and magnify God's holy name." Most highly favored lady, Gloria!

4 Of her, Emmanuel, the Christ, was born in Bethlehem all on a Christmas morn,
and Christian folk throughout the world will ever say: "Most highly favored lady." Gloria!
 
Our psalm this morning is read by Terry Koncel
Psalm: Luke 1:46b-55
 
 46bMy soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
  47my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
 48for you, Lord, have looked with favor on your lowly servant.
  From this day all generations will call me blessed:
 49you, the Almighty, have done great things for me
  and holy is your name.
 50You have mercy on those who fear you,
  from generation to generation.
 51You have shown strength with your arm
  and scattered the proud in their conceit,
 52casting down the mighty from their thrones
  and lifting up the lowly.
 53You have filled the hungry with good things
  and sent the rich away empty.
 54You have come to the aid of your servant Israel,
  to remember the promise of mercy,
 55the promise made to our forebears,
  to Abraham and his children forever.
 
The children’s word is brought by Deacon Tracy Katschke
CHILDREN'S WORD
 
The gospel is read by Pastor Pastor Danie Morris.  The gospel is announced. 
The holy gospel according to Luke.
Glory to you, O Lord.
 
Gospel: Luke 1:26-38
 26In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, 27to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” 29But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. 30The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. 33He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” 34Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” 35The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. 36And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. 37For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.
 
The gospel concludes:
The gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, O Christ.
 
Pastor Pastor Danie Morris proclaims God’s Word for you in the sermon. 
SERMON
 
Stan Sanderson will now lead the assembly in prayer
Prayers of Intercession
God of power and might, fulfill your promise and come quickly to this weary world. Hear our prayers for everyone in need.
 
A brief silence.
 
Gracious God, all generations call you blessed. In this holy season we pray for our neighbors of other denominations and faiths. Inspire the faith of their people. Cultivate understanding among us and strengthen us in love and service to our community. Hear us, O God.
Your mercy is great.
 
Creator God, you scatter the proud. Everything we have belongs first to you. Bless and protect the seas, mountains, plains, forests, skies, and soils that surround us. Give us humility as we tend them. Hear us, O God.
Your mercy is great.
 
Righteous God, you humble the powerful and lift up the lowly. We pray for the leaders of all nations, that they amplify the voices of people in need. Guide all people entrusted with leadership, to create societies in which everyone can flourish. Hear us, O God.
Your mercy is great.
 
Compassionate God, you fill the hungry with good things and send the rich away empty. Nourish those who lack access to adequate food and nutrition. Bless the work of advocates, community organizers, and food pantries. Encourage others to provide for their neighbors in need. Hear us, O God.
Your mercy is great.
 
Healing God, you pour out mercy to all who cry out to you. Surround everyone in need of healing in body, mind, or spirit with your tender presence (especially for Mike, Sherri, Lizetta, Kim, Kyle, Jan, Rita, Gina, Laurie, Tracy, Jeff, Chris, Don, Douglas, Hoyt, and Bruce). Hear us, O God.
Your mercy is great.
 
Draw near to us, O God, and receive our prayers for the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
 



Pastor Daniel leads the assembly in giving thanks for God’s Word.
Thanksgiving for the Word
Let us pray.
O God of justice and love, we give thanks to you that you illumine our way through life with the words of your Son. Give us the light we need, awaken us to the needs of others, and at the end bring all the world to your feast; through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory forever.
Amen.

Stan Sanderson leads the assembly in the Lord’s Prayer.
Lord’s Prayer 
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.
 
The council President/Vice President comes forward and addresses the assembly.
Bruce and Lin, as you leave our Peace, we wish to bid you farewell.
 
A reading from Isaiah: Thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, who formed you, O Israel: Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. (Isaiah 43:1-3)
 
At this time, I invite the Koenigs to offer a few words on behalf of the people of Peace. 
 
Brief comments about those who are leaving and their life in the congregation may follow.
 
The presiding minister continues.
When you came to this Peace we rejoiced to welcome you into the mission we share as the people of God. In this community you have come to know and to share in God’s loving purpose for you and for all creation. God has blessed you in this community, and God has blessed us through you.
 
We encourage you to continue to receive and share God’s gifts in your new home, united with us in the body of Christ and the mission we share.
 
Let us pray.
Eternal God, we thank you for Lin and Bruce
and for the time we have shared with them.
As they have been a blessing to us,
so now send them forth to be a blessing to others;
through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
Amen.

Receive the blessing.
BLESSING 
The Creator of the stars bless your Advent waiting, the long-expected Savior fill you with love,
the unexpected Spirit guide your journey, ☩ now and forever.
 
Jeff Horvath leads us in our sending song. 
Sending Song O Come, O Come, Emmanuel (ELW 257)

1 O come, O come, Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel,
that mourns in lonely exile here until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to you, O Israel.

5 O come, O Key of David, come, and open wide our heav'nly home;
make safe the way that leads on high, and close the path to misery.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to you, O Israel.

PEACE AND DISMISSAL
The peace of Christ be with you always.  Let us go forth sharing a greeting of Christ's peace.  
 
ANNOUNCEMENTS 






GIVING YOUR OFFERING
We thank God for all that we have and all that we are as we make our offering. You can give your offering in many different ways: Mailing our check to church / Using our own bank website “send-payment” feature / Going to www.peacelutheranlz.com and clicking on “make a donation” / or, downloading and using the app: https://giveplushelp.vancopayments.com/. 



THANK YOU
So much gratitude for everyone who has contributed to worship today.  The young and old, readers, musicians, and the technical help are all making this possible.  Find all of this week’s announcements in the Prints of Peace on the PLC website.   Allison Hearst, Office Admin: office@peacelutheranlz.com  /  Deacon Tracy Katschke: tracy@peacelutheranlz.com  /  Pastor Daniel Morris: pastor@peacelutheranlz.com 
 
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