Bulletin: December 3rd, 2023

First Lutheran Church                                                               Advent 1
PO Box 153 - 240 Elm Street West                                             December 3, 2023            
Amery, WI   715-268-7135                                                            www.flcamery.org
Our mission is to know Jesus and to make Jesus known. Jn. 17    
WELCOME AND ANNOUNCMENTS:  O God come to our aid. O Lord, come near. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. Lord our God, we praise you for your Son, Jesus Christ. He is Emmanuel, the hope of all peoples; Jesus is the wisdom that teaches and guides us; and is the Savior of every nation. O God, let your blessing come upon our community gathered here before you. Bless us and our advent wreath.  May the light that shines forth from them illumine our way as we journey towards Christmas; may the light that shines forth from them illumine our lives as we wait in hope for the birth of the Christ-child. We ask this through Christ who is the Light of the World.

HYMN: Lift Up Your Heads

CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS:  Trusting in the Word of life, we are gathered in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
As we await the fullness of Christ's coming, let us acknowledge our sins before God.
Our indifference toward your coming, we confess to you, Lord. Our desire to control time and seasons,   we confess to you, Lord. Our failure to be alert to signs of your presence in our midst, we confess to you, Lord. Our lack of concern for those who come after us, we confess to you, Lord. Our injustices toward people you came to save, we confess to you, Lord. In the mercy of almighty God, I declare to you the forgiveness of your sins, and the grace to know joy in the Savior's coming. Amen

GREETING, KYRIE- Rd 157

PRAYER: Stir up your power, Lord Christ, and come. By your merciful protection awaken us to the threatening dangers of our sins, and keep us blameless until the coming of your new day, for you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now & forever. Amen 

HYMN: O Come Emmanuel………………………………………..R257 Vs 1-4

Isaiah 64:1-9 O that you would tear open the heavens and come down, so that the mountains would quake at your presence-- as when fire kindles brushwood and the fire causes water to boil-- to make your name known to your adversaries, so that the nations might tremble at your presence! When you did awesome deeds that we did not expect, you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence. From ages past no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who works for those who wait for him. You meet those who gladly do right, those who remember you in your ways. But you were angry, and we sinned; because you hid yourself we transgressed. We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy cloth. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away. There is no one who calls on your name, or attempts to take hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us, and have delivered us into the hand of our iniquity. Yet, O LORD, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand. Do not be exceedingly angry, O LORD, and do not remember iniquity forever. Now consider, we are all your people.  

1 Corinthians 1:3-9 Paul's first letter to the Corinthians addresses many problems that had arisen in the early church. Still, he sets these problems within the context of thanksgiving for the grace and faithfulness of God.  [Paul writes:] Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus, for in every way you have been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind--just as the testimony of Christ has been strengthened among you--so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ. He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you may be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful; by him you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

HYMN: O Come, O Come Emmanuel……………….Rd. 257 Vss 5-8

GOSPEL: Mark 13:24-37 In today's reading, Jesus encourages his followers to look forward to the day when he returns in power and glory to end all suffering. [Jesus said:] "In those days, after that suffering, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see 'the Son of Man coming in clouds' with great power and glory. Then he will send out the angels, and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven. "From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. "But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his slaves in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to be on the watch. Therefore, keep awake--for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or at dawn, or else he may find you asleep when he comes suddenly. And what I say to you I say to all: Keep awake."

APOSTLES’ CREED, CHILDREN COME FORWARD

SERMON

HYMN: Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus

OFFERING:

PRAYERS,  LORD’S SUPPER, LORD’S PRAYER
Rejoice, Rejoice- G25, Music, Prepare the Royal Highway G26, Music

BLESSING The holy and living God bless you in darkness and in light, in fasting and in feasting, in sadness and in joy. Amen

Go in peace. Prepare the way.  Thanks be to God!
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