Worship Notes for Wednesday, Dec 10, 2014

Tuesday after the Second Sunday of Advent

December 9, 2014

The Lord be with you

Wednesday we will continue our mid-week Advent series, “The Meaning of Christmas is …” This week’s message is titled “The Meaning of Christmas is Family” (text: Romans 8:17). The lessons for the evening will be Psalm 103 (antiphon verse 13), Romans 8:12-17 and Matthew 1:18-25. The reading from Matthew begins the Christmas story in Matthew, which we will conclude on Wednesday the 17^th. Our liturgy will be Evening Prayer (page 243). Our opening hymn will be “O Little Town of Bethlehem” (LSB 361). Our homily hymn will be “Once in Royal, David’s City” (LSB 376).  Our closing hymn will be “”It Came upon the Midnight Clear” (LSB 366).

As typical the evening will begin with a soup supper at 6:15 pm. Soup this week will be provided by the Swains. Worship begins at 8:00. Following the worship service our choir meets for rehearsal. That will be around 8:00.

Last Wednesday’s message, “The Meaning of Christmas is Love,” can be found on the sermon’s page. You can also find Sunday’s sermon, “What, Me Repent?” there.

The video is of our closing hymn, "It Came upon the Midnight Clear."

 

What follows are the readings.

Psalm 103 (13)

¹           Bless the Lord, O my soul,

                        and all that is within me,

                        bless his holy name!

²           Bless the Lord, O my soul,

                        and forget not all his benefits,

³           who forgives all your iniquity,

                        who heals all your diseases,

⁴           who redeems your life from the pit,

                        who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,

⁵           who satisfies you with good

                        so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

⁶           The Lord works righteousness

                        and justice for all who are oppressed.

⁷           He made known his ways to Moses,

                        his acts to the people of Israel.

⁸           The Lord is merciful and gracious,

                        slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.

⁹           He will not always chide,

                        nor will he keep his anger forever.

¹⁰          He does not deal with us according to our sins,

                        nor repay us according to our iniquities.

¹¹          For as high as the heavens are above the earth,

                        so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;

¹²          as far as the east is from the west,

                        so far does he remove our transgressions from us.

¹³          As a father shows compassion to his children,

                        so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.

¹⁴          For he knows our frame;

                        he remembers that we are dust.

¹⁵          As for man, his days are like grass;

                        he flourishes like a flower of the field;

¹⁶          for the wind passes over it, and it is gone,

                        and its place knows it no more.

¹⁷          But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him,

                        and his righteousness to children's children,

¹⁸          to those who keep his covenant

                        and remember to do his commandments.

¹⁹          The Lord has established his throne in the heavens,

                        and his kingdom rules over all.

²⁰          Bless the Lord, O you his angels,

                        you mighty ones who do his word,

                        obeying the voice of his word!

²¹          Bless the Lord, all his hosts,

                        his ministers, who do his will!

²²          Bless the Lord, all his works,

                        in all places of his dominion.

            Bless the Lord, O my soul!

Matthew 1:18-25

¹⁸          Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. ¹⁹And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. ²⁰But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. ²¹She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” ²²All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:

²³          “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,

                        and they shall call his name Immanuel”

            (which means, God with us). ²⁴When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, ²⁵but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.

           

Romans 8:12-17

¹²          So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. ¹³For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. ¹⁴For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. ¹⁵For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” ¹⁶The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, ¹⁷and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

Blessings in Christ

Pastor