Grace Lutheran Church

Friday,

December 25, 2015

WELCOME

Merry Christmas.

We thank God for your presence among us. This morning we make our way to Bethlehem to see the Christ Child. Come, and Behold Him! Born the King of David!

SHARING THE PEACE

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HARK! THE HERALD ANGELS SING

 

Hark! the herald angels sing,

"Glory to the new-born King;Peace on earth and mercy mild,

God and sinners reconciled!"Joyful, all ye nations, rise,

Join the triumph of the skies;With the angelic host proclaim.

"Christ is born in Bethlehem!"Hark! the herald angels sing,

"Glory to the new-born King!"

 

Christ, by highest heaven adored. Christ, the everlasting Lord,

Late in time behold Him come, Offspring of a virgin's womb.

Veiled in flesh the Godhead see,

Hail the incarnate Deity!Pleased as Man with man to dwell;

Jesus, our Immanuel!Hark! the herald angels sing,

"Glory to the new-born King!"

 

HaiI, the heavenly Prince of Peace! Hail, the Sun of Righteousness!

Light and life to all He brings, Risen with healing in His wings.

Mild He leaves His throne on high, Born that man no more may die;Born to raise the sons of earth; Born to give them second birth.Hark! the herald angels sing, "Glory to the new-born King!"

 

Come, Desire of nations, come, Fix in us Thy humble home;

Oh, to all Thyself impart, Formed in each believing heart!

Hark! the herald angels sing, "Glory to the new-born King;

Peace on earth and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled!"Hark! the herald angels sing, "Glory to the new-born King!"

 

INVOCATION

P In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit.C Amen.

P In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God,C and the Word was God.

 

INVOCATION

P The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, C and we have seen His glory.

 

CONFESSION

P Dearly beloved of God, we come together this day to hear of the great miracle that God became flesh and dwelt among us. Because He did this in order to free us from our sins, let us first consider our sinfulness and confess our need before God and

 

CONFESSION

one another. Together let us seek God’s grace and forgiveness, convinced of His love. For He not only became flesh for us at Christmas, but remains flesh for us, raising our humanity to fellowship with God and eternal life.

 

CONFESSION

C Almighty God, have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and lead us to everlasting life; for the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

 

ABSOLUTION

P To all who receive Him, who believe in His name, He gives the right to become children of God. Upon this, your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God

unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.

ABSOLUTION

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  Angels we have heard on high Sweetly singing over the Plains,

And the mountains in reply, Echoing their joyous strains.

Gloria in excelsis Deo; Gloria in excelsis Deo

Come to Bethlehem and see Him whose birth the angels sing;

Come, adore on bended knee Christ the Lord, the newborn king.

Gloria in excelsis Deo; Gloria in excelsis Deo.

PRAYER OF THE DAY

P Let us pray. Almighty God, grant that the birth of Your onlybegotten Son in the flesh may set us free from the bondage ofsin; through Jesus Christ, YourSon, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and Holy Spirit,

PRAYER OF THE DAY

P Let us pray. Almighty God, grant that the birth of Your onlybegotten Son in the flesh may set us free from the bondage ofsin; through Jesus Christ, YourSon, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and Holy Spirit,one God, now and forever.C Amen.

Old Testament Isaiah 52:7-10 How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!” Listen! Your watchmen lift up their voices;

together they shout for joy. When the LORD returns to Zion, they will see it with their own eyes. Burst into songs of joy together, you ruins of Jerusalem, for the LORD has comforted his people, he has redeemed Jerusalem. The LORD will lay bare His holy arm in the sight of

all the nations, and all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God.

P This is the word of the LORD.C Thanks be to God.

EPISTLE HEBREWS 1:1-12 In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe.

The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has

inherited is superior to theirs. For to which of the angels did God ever say, “You are my Son; today I have become your Father”? Or again,  “I will be his Father, and he will be my Son”?

And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says,  “Let all God’s angels worship him.” In speaking of the

angels he says, “He makes his angels spirits, and his servants flames of fire.” But about the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore

God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.” He also says, “In the beginning, Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you remain; they will all

wear out like a garment. You will roll them up like a robe; like a garment they will be changed. But you remain the same, and your years will never end.”P This is the Word of the Lord.C Thanks be to God.

GOSPEL JOHN 1:1-18

 P The Holy Gospel according to Saint John, the first chapter.

C Glory to You, O Lord.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light

shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. The true light

that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those whobelieved in his name, he gave the

right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came

from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”) Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given.

For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and

is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.P This is the Gospel of the Lord.C Praise to You, O Christ.

Joy to the world the Lord is come! Let earth receive her King

Let every heart prepare him room And heaven and nature sing,

And heaven and nature singAnd heaven and heaven and

nature sing  

Joy to the earth the Savior Reigns Let men their songs employ

While fields and floods Rocks, hill and plains

Repeat the sounding joy, Repeat the sounding joy

Repeat, repeat the sounding joy  

No more let sins and sorrows grow Nor thorns infest the ground

He comes to make His blessing flowFar as the curse is found, Far as the curse is found

Far as, far as the curse is found. 

He rules the world with truth and graceAnd makes the nations prove

The glories of His righteousnessAnd wonders of His love,And wonders of His love,

And wonders, wonders, of His love.

APOSTLES’ CREEDC I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.

And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was

conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virginMary, suffered under Pontius

Pilate, was crucified, died and

APOSTLES’ CREED

was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.

APOSTLES’ CREED

From thenceHe will cometo judge the living and thedead.

APOSTLES’ CREED

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.

What shall I render to the Lord for all His benefits to me? I will offer the

sacrifice of thanksgiving and will call on the name of the Lord. I will take the cup of salvation and will call on the name of the Lord. I will pay my

vows to the Lord now in the presence of all His people, In the courts of the Lord’s house, in the

midst of you, O Jerusalem.

PRAYER OF THE CHURCHP Glory to God in the highest. Glory to You, O God. Glory to You for the great gift of salvation in Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. Because He took on our flesh, all mankind takes on the divine hope of eternal life. Receive our heartfelt thanks and praise. Lord, in Your mercy,C hear our prayer.

P As You took on our human flesh for our salvation, so may our Lord take on new flesh and blood, living in us, His people, that He may extend the touch of His salvation to all people in our world today. Bless Your Church to be the hearts and hands and voices of Your grace to all people. Lord, in Your mercy,C hear our prayer.

P May all people over the whole world hear the Good News of Your love and salvation in Christ, and, hearing, be brought to faith and delivered from their sin. Cause Your Gospel to be preached and confessed with power and boldness everywhere. Lord, in Your mercy,C hear our prayer.

P On this Christmas Day, hear our prayers for all who are alone, those who are sick or injured, and those suffering in body, mind, or spirit ____). Give health and healing and strength to all who look to You for help. Lord, in Your mercy,C hear our prayer.

P Into Your hands, O Lord, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in Your mercy, O Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.C Amen.

LORD’S PRAYER

P Lord, remember usin Your kingdomand teach us to pray:

C 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 isthe kingdom and the power andthe glory forever and ever.Amen.

CANTICLE

P O Lord of Light, in the darkness of our sin and its death we had no place to turn but to You. You sent forth Your Light into our darkness and clothed us in the light of Christ. Grant us Your Holy Spirit that we may live in His light

CANTICLEand walk in His light, to the glory of Your holy name; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.C Amen.

BENEDICTIONP The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face shine upon You and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace!C Amen!

COME, YOUR HEARTS

Come, Your hearts and voices raising,Christ the Lord with gladness praising;

Loudly sing His love amazing,Worthy folk of Christendom.

COME, YOUR HEARTS

Sin and death may well be groaning,

Satan now may well be moaning;We, our full salvation owning,

Cast our every care away.

COME, YOUR HEARTS

See how God, for us providing, Gave His Son and life abiding;He our weary steps is guiding

From earth's woe to heavenly joy..

COME, YOUR HEARTS

Christ, from heaven to us descending

And in love our race befriending,In our need His help extending,

Saved us from the wily Foe..

COME, YOUR HEARTS

Jacob's Star in all its splendor Beams with comfort sweet and

tender,Forcing Satan to surrender,

Breaking all the powers of hell.

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COME, YOUR HEARTS

From the bondage that oppressed us, From sin's fetters that possessed us,

From the grief that sore distressed us, We, the captives, now are free.

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COME, YOUR HEARTS

Oh, the joy beyond expressing When by faith we grasp this blessingAnd to Thee we come confessing,

That our freedom thou hast wrought!

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COME, YOUR HEARTSGracious Child, we pray Thee, hear us,

From Thy lowly manger cheer us,Gently lead us and be near us Till we join the angelic choir.

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May the joy of the Christ Child fill you with His

peace!